A Sister's Guidance
by TheHeroQueen
Summary: Tilly is a young teenager who loves to play video games. What happens when she suddenly finds family and love in her favorite game? Thrown into a world of magic and myths... And where trust means everything, will she survive? - OCxTilly SELF INSERTION
1. Who Is That Young Boy?

A/N: This is my story ever. The idea just came to me, escorted by my muse and hyper plot bunnies. They would not go away until I wrote this chapter. . .

I hope this is a good story!

**DISCLAIMER:** -Sigh- How can I, a mere teen, own the greatness that is Tales of Symphonia? Even if I REALLY want to own Yuan and Kratos. . . -drools-. I don't own it or anything you recognize, okay?

"Tilly, it's time for dinner!" My mom called up to me from downstairs.

I ignored her as I continued to play my on my Nintendo Gamecube. I had just beaten my game, Tales of Symphonia, for the fifth time since I had bought it. It took so long on this file because I had wanted to get my party to the highest level. It didn't help that Kratos was a few levels lower than everyone else. _If he wasn't so hot, I would not be doing this._

"Finally! I can get everyone's special costumes. I WANT ZELOS!" I screeched at my Gamecube. _I really love having Kratos in my group, but Zelos is just so funny. _I let out a sigh. _He's also the only way to get those fancy outfits. They just had to make so only one of the two magic swordsman could be in your party at a time. . ._

I snap out of my daydream when I hear my mother yell, "YOUNG LADY! Get your butt down here or I'll take your video games and sell them to the neighbor kids!" I instantly start to panic.

"You wouldn't! These games are the only way I can relax from the daily torture of school! Plus, the kids around here are toddlers. I don't think they will want my stuff." I yelled from the safety of my bedroom.

"Well, just get down here before too long. I made your favorite meal." She says as she heads back to the kitchen.

"Okay, Mom." I look back to my television. _Maybe I'll just buy some stuff using GRADE and then head downstairs._On the way back to my big bed,I pause in front of my wall mirror. _I need to change my wardrobe, too. I look like I just walked in from the Salvation Army. . ._

The fourteen-year-old girl in the mirror had long dark brown hair, about to the middle of her back. Her eyes were also brown and had freckles all over her nose. The body was slightly plump, but only a little. The girl was tall and did have curves, but she hid it all with comfortable loose clothes. She had on a light grey t-shirt with dark blue sweatpants. The shoes were regular tennis shoes with Velcro straps.

_Well, I like to be more comfortable than fashionable. Casual it stays. _I sit back down on my pink bed and grab my controller. I bought everything I needed at the GRADE Shop and waited for the beginning to start. _Kratos' voice is always good to listen to. _I giggle at that thought.

"_Once upon a time,_

_There existed a giant tree that was the source of all mana._

_A war, however, caused this tree to wither away,_

_and a hero's life was sacrificed in order to take its place._

_Grieving over the loss,_

_the goddess disappeared unto the heavens._

_The goddess left the angels with this edict:_

"_You must wake me, for if I should sleep, the world shall be destroyed."_

_The angels bore the Chosen One,_

_who headed towards the tower that reached up unto the heavens._

_And that marked the beginning of theregeneration of the world."_

As I watched the introduction, it suddenly veered away from Iselia. The picture on the screen showed a small clearing near the town, just out of reach of curious eyes.

"What in the world? The game never showed this before. Does it have a glitch?" I mused over this unexpected delay before I heard a voice call out to me from the T.V.

"Sis? Where are you? We're getting a bit close to Iselia, don't you think?"

My attention immediately went back to the screen. There was a boy about twelve standing in the clearing. I just noticed there was now a fire and a tent there, too. _I am so confused. What's happening? _

The boy was obviously an elf. Short black hair was covered by the hood of the black cape he had on. He was wearing a dark green shirt and tunic with black pants. He was also wearing some green leather armor on his front and on the kid's back was a bow and a quiver full of arrows. _He seems familiar. Have I seen this boy before? I don't think I have, but I'm getting such a weird feeling. . ._

The boy continued to call out. "Sister? If this is on purpose, I'll never forgive you!" I ignored this because I was too busy flipping through a game guide.

_Oh, come on! There has to be something about this glitch. It has never happened before and I don't want to lose my progress! _The mental rambling went on until the kid said something I could NOT ignore.

"Tilly! Where are you! Sis, I'm scared without you with me. . ." With that, he starts to cry and he sits down on the grass near the fire.

_I did not just hear that! He just called for me! Well, not me, but his sister named Tilly. It's such a coincidence, though. _As I continue to stare at the T.V., I feel that I do indeed know the young kid. _Wait, I DO know his name! It's on the tip of my tongue! Otis, Oran, Otika, Orkal, Oreo, Orion. . . _

As it comes to me, I yell out, "Orkion! That's his name!" As if he heard his name, Orkion looks up, and whispers a quiet, "Sis? Is that you, Tilly?" My mind just froze when he said that, because along with his sentence, my whole room starts to spin. _WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?_

I manage to utter out a "Damn!" before everything goes black.

**A/N: **I really hoped you like it. I plan on doing more chapters. If you read and review, I give you someting nice next A/N.


	2. A New Life in Symphonia?

**A/N: **I got such nice reviews. Thanks everybody for the reviews! I feel so loved. . . Hey if anyone wants to know, Tilly and Orkion's last name is Avera.

Sunfrost (): Thanks for being my first reviewer! I'm glad you like it.

cindy: Is that you, Mom? Thank you for reviewing, Mother! Wait, you also wrote stories? I'll have to ask you about that. . .

Eternum123: You can't wait? I'm. . . I'm. . . I'M SO HAPPY! I'll update quickly, just for you!

ryutamer: I'm glad one of my friends reviewed! Um, Orkion is my full brother. We're both pureblood elves. Just wait, okay? You going to be in here! Your brother, too. . .

Okay, now here's what I promised you guys: Kratos plushies! I made them myself.

**Kratos: **. . . Is that why you wanted to take my picture? To make a doll? -glares-

**Princess: **Well, yes. -gulps- Um, I'll just leave you alone now. You can put your sword down! -flees-

**DISCLAIMER: **I going to have to do this every chapter, aren't I? I'll have my crazy dog Sadie do it in my stead. Sadie! Come here, girl!

**Sadie:** What is it, Tilly? What? What? Tell me! Yeah? Yeahyeahyeah-

**Princess: **SADIE! Calm down! I just want you to do the disclaimer for a treat, okay?

**Sadie: **Oooohhhh, a treat? Okay. PrincessKaina2 does not own Tales of Symphonia or anything else you recognize. She only owns Tilly, Orkion, their pasts, and any extra plot. WHERE'S MY TREAT! -tackles Princess-

**Princess: **AHHHHH! Get off me, you hyperactive furball! I'll give you your treat! -throws the treat into the back-

**Sadie: **TREAT! TREAT! TREAT! -runs off in the wrong direction-

**Princess: **Oh my. She's not the brightest crayon in the box, now is she? -sigh- ON WITH THE STORY!

_Ohhh, my head. What just happened? _I wake up with an aching head in the middle of a forest. _This seems to be not that far away from the clearing. Is Orkion still there?_

I start to stand up when I notice my clothes. They are rich blue color. _What the-? What am I wearing? _There is a pond to my right, so I head on over there. What I see suprises me.

The girl in the reflection was wearing a dark blue shirt with matching tunic over it. The pants were a shade lighter. Under the tunic was light chain mail, so light it was effortless to move around in. Her boots were a nice brown color and attached to a black belt around her waist on herleftwas a sword. There was also a cloak the girl was wearing that was a much darker shade than the rest of her clothing.

"Wow. These are beautiful. Even my hair has a blue ribbon holding it back." I mutter as I continue to stare. _I must be in Sylverant.The clothes are to old-style for Tethe'alla.I wonder what race I am? _My hands go up to my ears. They are pointed, more so than a half-elves ear would be. _Cool! I'm an elf! That must mean I can do magic. Wait, then what is this sword for?_

I had forgotten the sword in the excitement of my new clothes. I pull it out of the sheath. The blade is a bright silver, with strange runes all overit.The handle is shaped like the wings of an angel._This is weird. I can hardly hold my aunt's real one, so how can I pick this up? Something must be giving me strength. . . Do I have an Exsphere?_

I look at my hands. On the back of my right hand, there is a blood red Exsphere, with strange swirls on it. The keycrest is gold colored, with silver lining. _That's so pretty! Since it doesn't look like a normal Exsphere, will it turn into a Cruxis Crystal later on? I'll just find about that later. What I have to do first is find out why and how I got h-_

My thoughts stop as a flash of pain goes through my mind. "Oh, that HURTS! What's happening?" I utter out as I hold my head. Many things are passing through my mind, pictures and memories of someone else's life. _Who is this person?_ I let out a gasp as I recognize them._Hey! That's me! Is this part of my character in the game? _

When the pain stops, all those memories are suddenly mine. I now have a second life here in Sylverant. _Let's see, I grew up in Asgard, one ofthe only elves living there. I have a younger brother named Orkion but no other siblings. My parents were killed five years ago in a violent accident at sea, which is why I have a fear of the ocean. I was trained with the sword because I want to protect my brother with more than magic. . ._

I continued to look at the memories until I got to a certain one. The person who had taught me to use a sword was. . ._ Kratos? I didn't know who he really was in this life. Kratos was a wondering mercenary who saved my life. The last time I saw Kratos was three weeks ago, in Palmacosta. I guess I'll see him again, if I want to follow the storyline. But first, I need to try out some of my moves!_

I think hard. The techs I know are Sword Rain, Shadow Break, Demon Fang, Star Shine, First Aid, and Heaven's Breath. _What's Star Shine?_

I hold my sword in combat position and look for a target. That tree will do nicely. I run directly towards my victim and yell out, "Take this! Star Shine!" My sword starts so glow brightly and as I slash, stars surround it and cause even more damage by shredding the poor tree.

"That was cool. I guess I call out my attacks like Kratos, since he was supposed to be the one who taught me." _Next one! _I concentrate my mana and attack the next tree.

"Aha! Shadow Break!" My sword transforms into a blade of darkness. It seems similar to Star Shine, only with this using darkness to defeat enemies._Okay. Now to do my next tech. __I think Heaven's Breath is a spell. . ._

"I call to thee in Heaven! Give me your power to vanquish this sinner! Heaven's Breath!" The area around the remains of the tree begin to glow a bright white. Angel feathers start to swirl around in a circle, gaining speed as they do. There is a giant cyclone of light and feathers that demolishes the area where I aimed the spell.

_Oh, wow. That was COOL. I feel kind of tired after that. Must be my most powerful spell, so far. _I am snapped out of my reverie as I hear someone call out to me.

"There you are, Sister! I thought you were gone until I saw your spell! I'm glad your okay. Why did you disappear in the first place, Tilly?" My brother is standing a few feet away. "Look at what you did to the trees! Are you feeling okay, Sis?"

"I'm just fine, Orkion. I just needed some time to think, okay? Now, where were we going again?" I say to him as we walk back to the path.

"Your simple minded sometimes, you know that? We're going to Iselia, to meet up with Master Kratos and to help the Chosen One."

"I am not! I just forgot for a moment, brother!" I send a glare his way as I say this.

"Whatever you say, Sis." Orkion just looks at me with innocent eyes.

_Yeah, right. He is just acting that way so I won't shove him. Unfortunately, it works. He is such a good little bro som-_ My thoughts are disturbed as he tugs at my elbow. Orkion is pointing to something.

"Come on! We have to hurry! There are monsters approaching the town!" _What? Damn, it must be when Lloyd and the others head to the temple. _I run with him as we get closer to the village.

_Lloyd better leave a monster to me!_


	3. The Elves meet the Heroes

**A/N: **I'm finally getting somewhere with this story! I've got ideas for later on in the fic. Thank you so much for reviewing!

Gantz Gun: Thank you! I think this is creative because it was kind of hard to find a different way to land in the game. I think I'm the only elf, too.

Sunfrost (): Thanks for reviewing again! I hope I continue to get ideas quickly. . . I plan to do the whole game! Heaven's Breath is kind of like Cyclone, just with light and feathers. My teacher was Kratos, after all.

Eternum123: Thanks so much for reviewing again! I play as Kratos WAY to much. . . -sobs- WHY CAN'T HIS JUDGEMENT LOAD FASTER!

**DISCLAIMER: **This will probably get boring later on. . . I know! I'll have my moody cat say it this time. Here, kitty kitty! Come here, Sammy!

**Sam: **-glares- What do you want, O loud owner?

**Princess:** Um, well, will you do the disclaimer, Sam Baby?

**Sam: **Don't call me that. You were the one that named me Samantha even though I'm male. I'll say it, for a price.

**Princess: **A price? How about I give you a can of tuna?

**Sam: **Tuna. . .Meow! PrincessKaina2 does not own Tales of Symphonia. She only owns Tilly, Orkion, their past, and any extra plot. Nothing you recognize! GIVE ME THE TUNA OR YOU'LL FACE MY CLAWS!

**Princess: **Wait! Don't hurt me! The sight of my own blood makes me sick. -hands over the tuna-

**Sam: **Your very smart for a human. Hahahaha! Meow! -swaggers out of sight-

**Princess: **I'm worried. He dropped a book called "One Lap at a Time: A Cat's Guide to World Domination." (I don't own that!) ON WITH THE STORY!

As my brother and I got closer to Iselia, I could see that the monsters were just Ghosts and Zombies. _I think I have an advantage. I know what will happen in the plot. Will me being here change that, or just push it along? I really don't want to go through extra dungeons. . ._

When we got to the village, I could here voices coming from farther in.

"Whoa! It's a monster!" That must be our hero, Lloyd.

"I thought the northern region where the temple is located was a sanctuary! Why are there. . ." Ah, that has to be the short prodigy, Genis. _I wonder how'll he take to having two elves travelling with him? At least, I hope we're going with them!_

_That means the only person left is. . . _"It must be part of the trial. Martel's trial involves battling monsters." _I always thought Colette was annoying, but she'll probably seem different in person. _

The trio comes into view just as I hear Lloyd say, "We don't have time to talk! Let's get this thing!" The battle with the Zombie starts.

"Sis, why don't we help them? I think the blond girl is the Chosen. This is what Master Kratos wanted us to do! Or did you forget again?" Orkion says this all with a smirk on his face.

I unsheath my blade. "Of course we have to help them! They seem pretty weak. AND I DID NOT FORGET!" I didn't wait for my brother's reply as I was already focusing on the Zombie.

"Shadow Break!" The attack saves Lloyd from an injury as it cuts the monster to pieces. As I put my sword back, Colette comes up to me.

"Thank you for helping us! My name is Colette. The boy with the twin swords is Lloyd and Genis is the one who uses magic." She just introduces herself without checking to see if we were a threat. _This just might get her hurt someday. . . or save her from clumsy ninjas._

"Yeah, thanks for helping. I could've beat it myself, though. . ." Lloyd gives a sheepish grin and shakes my hand. Genis just gives me a smile and a nod. He's busy using an Apple Gel on a few scratches to his throat.

After a moment of hesitation, I finally know what to say. "Your welcome. My name is Tilly Avera, and this is my younger brother Orkion. We were passing by here when Orkion spotted monsters heading towards the village. I just thought you guys might need some help." I wave my hand as I say this, which makes Lloyd notice the Exsphere.

"Hey! Where did you get that? It doesn't look normal at all. Can I take a look at the Exsphere?"

I give him my hand and Lloyd starts to examine the Keycrest. "This is a very special kind of ore. The lining seems to be made out of pure silver, and the stone is just weird." He drops my hand. "I'll ask Dad about it later."

"Hey, Lloyd! What do Exsphere's do?" Genis asks as he also looks at my stone.

Lloyd holds up his own. "It's designed for combat and brings out the maximum strength. Without this, I'd be nothing. . ."

"But you're still strong, Lloyd!" _Colette can't stand for other people to be unhappy, now can she? I guess that is what makes her a good person._

Genis just has to ruin the moment. "Yeah, at least his sword skills are good."

Lloyd glares at him. "What do you mean 'at least'?" He turns and says to me, "I'll ask my dad about your Exsphere later, okay?" I give Lloyd a nod.

_He must be talking about Dirk. Hey! I have to ask him if Irving is Anna's last name or Di- _I'm interupted as more monsters come toward us.

"There's another one! Let's go, you guys! Tilly, you and your brother are welcome to join us, if you want to." Lloyd tells all of us as the creatures get closer. _I'm so glad he accepted us. I'm not sure what I'd do if the main characters hated me. . ._

Colette seems to remember something. "Wait, Lloyd! The Professor said magic is more effective than physical attacks against non-physical and spiritual monsters." _Oh, yeah. I'll need to use spells on the Ghosts and such._

"Really? Then I'll leave the monster to Genis. Tilly, Orkion, can either of you use magic?" The question is directed at us.

"I can't use magic, but I have arrow skills. Sis has two magic spells, though." My brother replies.

"Yeah, I can use magic. I will go after the Ghosts with Genis!" _Of course I can use magic, you simpleton! I'm an ELF. _I just roll my eyes and back away, while Orkion draws his bow and gets ready. "Here they come!" My battle cry goes unheeded as everyone takes position.

"Get him! Fireball!" Genis' spell scorches the monster, but does not kill it. This gives me enough time to charge up my own.

I concentrate my mana. "I call to thee in Heaven! Give me your power to vanquish this sinner! Heaven's Breath!" The magic shreds the poor Ghost and scratches the Zombie. _What? That thing must have tough skin. How do Lloyd's WOODEN swords cut through that?_

My brother pierces its skin with his arrows. "Die! Ballistae Arrows!" Orkion rapidly fires several arrows at the Zombie, which gives a wretched howl as the arrows hurt it.

Lloyd finishes the gross creature with a final "Demon Fang!" and everything quiets down. _That was a bit easy. I know it'll get harder further on, but it just seemed tougher when the monsters were a game. . . Oh-no! That reminds me. There is a boss coming soon! Not that fat guy! _

Our hero turns to Colette. "Let's go to the temple!"

Colette and Genis both answer with an "Okay!" while Orkion just says "Sure."

"The temple? Brother, isn't that where we are supposed to meet Kratos?" I say this with a puzzled look in my eye.

Orkion gives me a look. "_Yes, _I told you that already! You're so dense some- OW!" His insult is stopped with a whack to his head.

"I AM NOT! There were other things on my mind, such as those monsters." I begin to run ahead. "Are you coming or not?"

Orkionjust shakes his head and hurries to catch up to me. Lloyd, Colette, and Genis follow us as we head to the Temple of Martel.

**A/N: **Wow. That was my longest chapter yet, and I'm not even to the temple. O.o

Please read and review! The more reviews I get, the faster I'm motivated to update! PLEASE!


	4. The Church of Martel Part One

**A/N: **I hope my writing isn't getting worst. That always happens to me in school. I like writing this, so that probably won't happen. Thanks for the reviews!

Sunfrost (): Thank you for staying with my story! YAY! Hmmmm. . . I'm going to have to find a game script for Vidarr. . .

Eternum123: Thanks for staying with my story, too! I was worried I could not do the fight scene correctly. I'll read and review your S-I, because you're so nice to me!

ryutamer: Thanks for reviewing again, my dear friend! Aren't you impatient? You and you brother will be in here, don't worry. I changed your techs slightly, to fit the story.

**-SPOILERS-**

**DISCLAIMER:** Not again. . . Hey, Orion! Come here! Orion is my friend whom I based Orkion off of.

**Orion: **I could sue you for using my username. I want your video games, Pokemon cards, Yu-Gi-Oh cards. . .

**Princess: **Wait a minute! I'll give you a jar of pickles if you don't sue me! And say the disclaimer!

**Orion: **PICKLES! WHERE? PrincessKaina2 does not own Tales of Symphonia. She only owns Tilly, Orkion, their past, pickles, and any extra plot. Nothing you recognize or know! Pickleeeessss. . . -drools- YOU PROMISED ME PICKLES! I'LL SUE!

**Princess:** Here they are, you crazy loon! Just don't drop it this time, okay? -hands over jar-

**Orion: **That was a total accident! Trevon kept shoving me. . . -flees the scene-

**Princess: **-sigh- All my friends are so loony. Pickles are my currency and reward for them. (Simple-minded kids!) They're still my friends, though. ON WITH THE STORY!

The trip to the temple was delayed slightly by some monster battles. _Sheesh, they just come out of now where! At least when it was just a game, I could see the creepy things. What is with the mutant theme! Poor little bunnies. . ._

"Tilly! Look out!" I turn my head to see what Genis was talking about.

_What? I don't see any- _"OUCH! What the hell! Damn rabbit, get off my leg!" The monster gives a pitiful cry as I slash through its body, leaving my leg all covered in icky blood. _You know, I think I hate bunnies now. Ahhhh! That bite hurts! Great, just great. I'm the only one that knows how to heal and I'm not sure I can. . . Ow! _

_It really hurts, so I'll try the spell. _"First Aid!" Sweet relief passes over my leg while the bite heals. It doesn't heal all the way, though. _I'll just leave the healing to Kratos. He's better at these kinds of spells than I am. My sword skills will do fine for me. I hope._

"Guys, I can use a weak First Aid spell, so don't get any major wounds, okay?" Genis just rolls his eyes and Lloyd gives me a nod.

"We're doing fine, so far. Come on, everyone! I can see the temple!" Colette reassures us as we hurry on. _I'm glad that she has such a gentle soul. People like her are rare, probably even in this world. Or worlds, really._

As we approach the building, I see a bright light coming from it. "Whoa, that light really is coming from the temple!" _Yes, point out the obvious, Lloyd. _

"Then an oracle is going to be conveyed. Colette's going to be the Chosen of Regeneration."_ Um, same with Lloyd, Genis. Of course she's the Chosen One! We already knew that!_

Colette just looks at the white light. "It's really, really bright!" _I know she's smarter than this, but that was so low. Colette's been hanging out with Lloyd too much, I think._

Lloyd seems to agree with me. "Say, Colette. . . when the oracle is conveyed, you'll become the Chosen who will save the world, right? You're going to be like the hero, Mithos! So maybe, you should act a little more. . . you know, Chosen-like. . ."

"Yeah! No problem. No problem." At his words, Colette stands straighter and dusts imaginary dirt off her clothes. _Well, that did make her look more mature. . . Still, she will never be graceful, for clumsiness is a part of her. I'm glad she's clumsy, because she would die REALLY early in the journey if she wasn't. I curse the soon-to-come ninjas! _

Orkion and Genis have noticed something. "Sister, there's a lot of commotion at the temple."

"You're right! I wonder what's happening?" Lloyd runs ahead of our group after saying that. He stops as a voice calls out to us.

"Chosen One!" _Oh no, it's that wounded Pastor. He dies. . . Damn it, this is real, isn't it? _The man collapses to the floor when he reaches us.

Our favoriteblond goes to the side of the Pastor. "Pastor!" Lloyd leans down beside her. "Hey, are you all right?" I also rush to his side.

"Old man, what happened?" _I already know, but I have to seem like I don't. I feel like I want to cry._

"The Desians broke the non-aggression treaty and attacked the temple. . . Chosen One. . . quickly. . . the oracle. . ." The man gives a cough as he lays there.

"I know." Colette seems about to cry at any moment.

The Pastor gives one last cough as he tells us his last words. "Please. . . be careful. . . I regret I will not. . . be able to pro. . .tect. . . the. . . Cho. . . sen. . . " _No! He's dead. . ._

"Pastor, hang on!"_ Colette does not seem to accept the fact I already know. _

_I guess I'll tell be the one to tell her. _"Colette, he's already gone. My weak healing powers would never save him, even if he was alive. I'm sorry." My hand goes to her shoulder. _This is the first time I've seen someone die right before my eyes._

"No!" Both Genis and Colette cover their faces in grieving. Orkion does the same.

After a moment, Colette stands up. ". . . I'm going." She starts towards the temple.

"Colette! There are Desians in there!" Genis manages to say. _We're all sad, so you are not alone in your grief, Genis._

She stops and turns to face us. "Yes. . . but I have to go. I'm the Chosen. My job is to accept the oracle on the Day of Prophecy. The four of you, wait here, okay?" _Wait a minute! What do you mean 'wait here'! _I grab her hand before Colette can go on.

"Colette, you could get killed up there! You need someone to help and protect you. Lloyd, Genis, are you going to let her go by herself!" _Those dolts better not say yes. If they do, I'll give them the screaming of a lifetime!_

Lloyd seems to feel my anger. "I'm going, too. I can't let you girls go by yourself." _GIRLS? I'll get you for that later. . . _

"Are you sure? It's dangerous." Colette looks worried as she says this. _Look, if we don't come with you, you will DIE. Get that through your blond head!_

_I know what comes next. My favorite twin swordsman will say. . . _"Dwarven Vow #1: Let's all work together for a peaceful world. Let's go." _There, he said it._ _How many Vows are there in all?_

"I'll go with you, too. I have to stay and make sure Tilly does not do anything rash." My brother replies as he goes to stand with me. _Thank you, my little monkey brethren. _

Genis looks left out as he also can't let us go on without him. "Wait, I'm going, too. I'm worried about Raine."

"Thanks, all of you." Colette looks so happy that we all came along.

As our group goes up the big staircase, Orkion looks puzzled. "Genis, who's Raine?"

"Oh, I haven't told you about her. She's my big sister, older than Lloyd. Raine teaches at our school and uses the healing arts. She went to the temple when the oracle began shining."

"Okay. I was just curious, that's all. Is she anything like my sister?" _Oh? He's talking about me. He better watch what he says. . ._

"Well, Raine does slap me, or anyone else for that matter, if she is contradicted. Lloyd is the one that gets hit the most, though."

Lloyd has to jump into their conversation when he is mentioned. "Hey, the Professor is scary when she's mad! She gets a wild look in her eye."

"Tilly gets that, too. If she loses a bet, or if I say she is wrong, Sis gets all mad and chases me around. It would be funny if she wasn't so fast." _Yes, I always manage to catch you, don't I? _

I interupt the trio before the conversation can get insulting. "I always catch you because you're too busy laughing to run that fast. The whacks to your head change that quickly, though." I start laughing at the look I get from my brother. _You cannot glare at all. Nice try! _"When I catch him, he starts to-"

"Hey, who's that?" Lloyd points up ahead of us. At the entrance to the temple, there is an old woman guarding it. A man with a group of soldiers approach her.

"Where is the Chosen?" The man questions the woman.

She steps back a little at that. It is then that one of the soldiers notice our group. "Lord Botta! There she is!" _It_ _took you long enough._

"Chosen One, your life is mine!" _Yes, that's Botta alright. He looks cool in real life. I guess everyone looks better. Ooooh, I can't wait until I see Yuan. Yuuuaaannn. . . _

Lloyd draws his swords. "I won't let you Desians get away with anything!" At his words, one of the soldiers begin to laugh.

"What's so funny, you freak?" My answer seems to just make the guy laugh harder.

"Well then, die at the hands of the Desians you so hate, little elf. Get them!" Both soldiers run at us, swords drawn. _I will kill that guy for calling me that!_

Our group splits up. Lloyd and I go after one "Desian" and the other three go after the other one.

"Sonic Arrow!" Orkion's arrow hits his target, cutting with the blades of air surrounding it.

"Auughh! Why you little brat! Die!" The man slashes at him, but misses because of Colette.

"No! Ray Thrust!" Her chackram hits the soldier, cutting deep. Genis finishes him off with a few calls of "Get him! Stone Blast!" _One down, one more to go. My turn!_

"Get out of my way! Sword Rain!" I thrust several times, causing my victim to cry out and retreat back a bit. _Now who's little! _

"Sonic Thrust!" After Lloyd uses that a few times, the man is dead. I turn my attention to Botta. _Where did he go? Uh oh, that means. . ._

"Do not get in our way!" _Crap, it's Vidarr! On the positive side, that means Kratos is coming soon. . . Still! Vidarr's tough! _

I sprint towards him and do several slashes to the armor Vidarr's wearing. It barely scratches it. _Damn! _He roughly punches me away, where I land on my back several feet away. _Ouch. My back really hurts now. Kratos, get your ass over here before we're all killed!_

Lloyd and Colette have similar results. Genis's magic works better, though. "Fireball!" It leaves scorch marks on Vidarr's armor.

"I'll crush you!" Vidarr takes out a huge ball and chain weapon. _Oh, damn it. KRATOS!_

He sends the ball towards us, knocking me onto Lloyd in the meantime. We both fall to the ground. _Oops. Lloyd is cute, but this is the wrong time to be thinking about that! _I roll off of him and crouch on my knees. That blow knocked the wind out of me. _Kratos. . . _

Lloyd pauses with his sword on the ground, also feeling tired. The others were in similar conditions. "This guy's strong!" Geniscoughs out as we look at Vidarr.

"This guy is really tough!" Lloyd looks up in time to see the man about to strike him and closes his eyes. _No! KRATOS! Where are you?_

My attempts to stand up are stopped as a mysterious person saves Lloyd. The man prevents the attack with his blade and turns to us. _Wait a minute. . . I recognize him! It's-_

Lloyd interupts my happiness. "Who are you?"

"Get out of the way." Kratos replies with as he draws his sword again. Our eyes meet and he gives me a small smile. _Kratos! You're here! FINALLY! _There's no time for conversation as Vidarr attacks us again.

"I won't let you die! First Aid!" I can stand up as my stomach is healed. "Thanks." All I get in return is a nod. _No, don't be all silent. I guess I should be happy about getting a smile out of you, though._

As the two swordsman take Vidarr head on, I ready my spell. "I call to thee in Heaven! Give me your p-" I have to stop to dodge an attack aimed at me. _What the-? This takes to long to use! I have to know another spell. . ._

"Alright! I got it! Hear my cry, O Lords of the Underworld! Kill these pathetic creatures! Wicked Light!" Beams of shadow and light mix together and surround my target. It explodes without warning and severely injures Vidarr in the process. _Oh yeah! I learned a new spell! Cool! _

Kratos finishes him off with Demon Fang and sheathes his sword. The rest of us follow suit. Vidarr's final words are spiteful. "I can't believe I lost to a bunch of kids. . ."

"Amazing!" Colette says with awe in her voice.

Genis seems to be the same. "This guy's incredibly strong!"

". . .Y. . . yeah. I. . . suppose so. . ." Only Lloyd seems to not be happy. _Poor Lloydie. He now has a rival. Master Kratos is the best!_

"It took you long enough, Kratos. Perfect timing, by the way." My sarcastic answer makes Kratos raise an eyebrow at me and to look amused. "I did not know you had gone on ahead, Tilly. I'm glad you and your brother are safe." He waves me off and addresses the rest of the party. _HEY!_

". . . Is everyone alright? Hmm. . . no one seems to be hurt." Lloyd notices that Kratos has an Exsphere on his left hand. "Is that an Exphere?" Before he can reply, the old woman comes up to him.

"How can I ever thank you for saving the Chosen?"

". . . I see. So this girl is the next Chosen." Kratos points to Colette as he answers. This makes her remember something.

"That's right! I have to go accept the oracle! Grandmother, I'm going to undergo the trial now." _Colette, that's the reason we came here in the first place! I say again, you hang out with Lloyd too much._

_Speaking, well, thinking of Lloyd. . . _"What trial?"

"The monsters, I assume. An evil presence radiates from inside this chapel." Kratos says while looking at me. _What are you staring at? _I give him a look. He just rolls his eyes and looks away. _Sheesh._

"Yes, that is correct. The Chosen is to recieve judgment from heaven. But the priests that were to accompany her fell at the hands of the Desians." Colette's grandmother, Phaidra, said.

Lloyd stands next to Colette. "Then I'll take on the job of protecting Colette."_ Of course. You're her knight in shining armor, Lloyd. _

Phaidra looks uncertain. "Lloyd?. . . I would uneasy with just you." _Hey, I would be, too. You use WOODEN blades, for Pete's sake! I still like you, though._

Lloyd's name makes Kratos look up. "Your name is Lloyd?" _Lloyd is your missing son, remember? So cute. Family is reunited, without Lloyd knowing. _

"Yeah, but who are you to ask for my name?" _Lloyd, Kratos has a real sword, is MUCH older than you, is better with a blade, and you're arrogant with him? Poor, sweet, dense Lloyd. . ._

". . . I am Kratos, a mercenary. As long as you can pay me, I'll accept the job of protecting the Chosen." Kratos looks straight at Phaidra, ignoring an unhappy Lloyd.

". . . Under the circumstances, I have little choice. Please be of service." The old woman still seems uncertain, but looks happier.

"It's a deal, then. Are you coming, Tilly, Orkion?" Both of us start to follow Kratos when Lloyd speaks up.

"W. . . wait! I'm going, too!" This seems to piss Kratos off.

"Lloyd, you'll only get in the way. Be a good boy and stay here." His answer seems to REALLY make Lloyd mad. "What did you say!"

Kratos is definately peeved. "Did I not make myself clear? You're a burden. Go home."

Orkion steps in before they hurt each other. "Master Kratos, you'll take a twelve and fourteen-year-old, but not Lloyd? He seems to be able to take care of himself."

"You two are different. I know both of you. I'm not sure if I can-" Kratos is stopped by Colette's hand tugging at his shoulder. "Yes?"

"Um. . . Mr. Kratos, would it be okay to take Lloyd along, too?" She says with a hopeful look in her eye.

"But. . ."

Colette will have none of that. "Please. I get nervous when Lloyd's not around." _Awwwww! That's so sweet! _

My teacher looks like he's had enough. ". . . Do as you wish." Both he and Colette go on ahead.

"It seems you're now a babysitter, Kratos! The great Kratos, Hahahahah- OW! You don't have to hit me!"

"You would not stop. How have you two been?"

"Pretty good, actually. We were slow coming here because of the monsters." _And the fact of me becoming my own character here. Will I ever get home? I'll figure that out later._

"Yes, the monsters are here because of the Chosen. They feel a need to try and kill her. First, though, we need to have the Chosen accept the oracle."

"Hey, she has a name, you know! It's Colette. Say it with me. C-O-L-E-T-T-E, Colette!"

"Fine, don't talk to me! How about we talk about my training?"

"I will continue it after this. It seems you have improved, at least slightly."

". . . Really? Oh, I have to ask you something."

"What?"

"Orkion wants to learn to use a sword. He wants to copy me, I think."

"As I say again, after we get through here. If he is anything like you, Orkion will do fine."

"That's good. I'm just worried that he'll-"

"Look out! Here come some monsters!" Kratos shoves me behind him and pulls out his sword. _Hey! I am not baggage, you purple, pompous ass! _

The rest of the group catches up with us and we quickly dispose of the creatures.

"Demon Fang!" _Lloyd! Don't hit me!_

"First Aid!" _Thank you, Kratos. Hit your son for me, will you?_

"You bet! Pow Hammer!" _What the hell! STOP AIMING AT ME, DAMN IT!_

"Star Shine!" _Take that, you overgrown bug! Get off my leg! Wait, Genis! Don't aim it right at m- _

"Get him! Fireball! Um, oops. Sorry, Tilly!" _Ouch. My. . . my leg. . ._

The monsters are finally gone. Kratos comes on over and leans down to my leg. "It's okay. First Aid!" My leg is fully healed from Genis' mistake. _I AM NOT A MONSTER!_

"I think that next time, I'll just stay in the back. I don't want to be mistaked for a monster, again." I am feeling quite pissed off by this time.

As we head on down to the lower parts of the church, Genis notices something. "Look, look! There's something glowing."

"Wow! Let's go see it!" Lloyd says with excitement.

All of our heads turn as Colette speaks. "Look, there's something here."

Orkion shoves her away from the Golem just as she was about to be hit. "Colette! Be careful, okay?"

When the Golem is killed, it turns into a giant block of . . . stone.

"Wow! It turned into a rock!" _Um, don't be dense, Colette. That's Lloyd's job._

_His job would be to say. . . _"Well, it was a kind of rock to begin with." _I am surrounded by idiots. Well, except for Kratos and Genis._

"Oops!" Colette lost her balance and accidentally pushes the block through a hole in the floor.

"Oh no! I tripped!" She looks so sad. _Way to go, Colette!_

Genis and Kratos seem to be the only ones other than me that know what is going on.

"I get it." _Genis. _

"I see." _Kratos._

"It's so obvious." _That would be me._

Lloyd does not like to be left out. "What are you three talking about?"

"In just a moment, it'll probably. . . See, there it is." Another Golem appears as Genis replies to Lloyd.

It was quickly disposed of. Once again, the Golem turned into a block.

"Lloyd, here the deal. When we kill a Golem, it turns into a block of stone. In turn, the blocks must be dropped down these holes to create a pathway below. Do you get it now, my dense swordsman?" I tell him as he still looked confused. This only seems to make Lloyd mad.

"Don't call me that! I understand now, so shut up!" _My plan worked. I love annoying people._

Our group continues onward. When we get to the glowing pedastal, Genis looks excited. "Is this the Sorcerer's Ring? I've heard about it before. It's a holy artifact of the Church of Martel!"

"With this, we should be able to deal with most traps and obstacles." Kratos says after some thought. "We can now open the barrier blocking the warp pad."

Lloyd looks really excited. "Wow! Let me try it!" _Whoa, it is just a ring, Lloyd! Calm down._

Colette relents to him. "Okay, Lloyd." Genis just laughs.

". . . You're like a little kid."

"He is, really. It's like he just got a piece of candy and- Owww!" I give a slap to Lloyd's head.

"Hey, only I can hit my brother, okay?"

"Fine. . . you hit hard."

While Lloyd and I converse, I didn't notice that the two of us had wandered away unknowingly from the group. "You know, you do look kind of cute when you pout."

"What!"

"You're blushing! Hahahaha! You are so- AHHHHHHH!"

I was now hanging on the edge of the floor, looking down into the abyss. It didn't help any that Lloyd had fallen with me and now had a death grip to my waist. _Ooooohh, he's holding me! The cute Lloyd Irving is hugging my waist! Of course, he would fall into the darkness without that grip. . ._

"Hey, um, Tilly? Can you pull up now? My arms are- Are you blushing?"

"No, I'm not! If I move my hands, we will fall. There is something we can do, though."

"Yes?"

"Call for help! KRATOS! ORKION!"

". . . I don't know you. GENIS! COLETTE! Don't call for Kratos!"

"Why not? He's like a father to me! You're just jealous because he's better than you!"

"I AM NOT! And Kratos is not better! He is just lucky. GENIS!"

"KRATOS AURION! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE OR I'LL-"

"Stop shouting. I'm here." Kratos' hands grab mine and both Lloyd and I are pulled up. _Sheesh, it took you long enough! My hormones were going nuts with Lloyd!_

"Next time, watch where you're going. I am not here to babysit. Come along, now." Kratos turns around and goes on ahead.

"Come on, Sis. Let's go!" Orkion tugs at my hand and I follow the others to the barrier.

After Lloyd used the Sorcerer's Ring to break it, all of us went through the warp pad. _This feels so weird. . . My whole body is tingling!_

At the top, my eyes were greeted by a shining brilliance. _That must be the altar where Colette's Cruxis Crystal lays. I wonder what it looks like. . ._

**A/N:** My. . . my hand. . . I wrote nearly 4,000 words. . . IT HURTS! I will get to Remiel in the next chapter. I was too tired to write anymore. . . PLEASE READ AND REVIEW THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR! It took nearly four hours straight to write! I think I might stick to 1,000 word chapters.


	5. The Church of Martel Part Two

**A/N: **That last chapter was a quite long, wasn't it? I'll probably stick to 1,000 to 2,000words perchapter from now on. I was serious about how long that took me to write!

ryutamer: Why, thank you! Your words mean so much to me. . . Your part will come, don't worry!

Eturnum123: Thanks! I think I will go back to shorter chapters. My hand hurt a lot after that much typing. . .

Sunfrost (): Thanks for reviewing! Here's the update.

**DISCLAIMER:** Oh, I'll just do it myself this time! I, PrincessKaina2, do not own Tales of Symphonia. Or anything you recognize. I only own Tilly, Orkion, their pasts, and any extra stuff you do not know about. If I did own it, there would be many changes.

**Yuan: **What she means is that I would be with Kratos, Lloyd would make-out heavily with Zelos, and many more horrendous things. . .

**Princess:** -giggles- Yes, that's right! Yaoi is great to read about, especially hot guys kissing.

**Yuan:** . . .Damn fangirl. . .

**Princess:** It seems my muse is not happy with me. He's the one who forced me to keep everyone normal. Yuan, you should be grateful you're not gay! ON WITH STORY!

_Wow, that altar is huge. That shiny stone must be the Cruxis Crystal. It's so pretty! Once we all get in here, "Lord" Remiel the creepy angel should arrive. Even when I first played this game, that guy gave me an uneasy feeling. . ._

Kratos disturbs my thinking by saying the obvious. "This appears to be the top floor." _Of course it is, my spiky haired wonder! The crystal is here._

"What else could it be? Colette's stone is on that bright altar." I giggle at the glare he sends my way. "What was that glare for? You're so weird. . ." Kratos ignores me as I insult him. _He'll probably get back at me later. Not good._

"That stone must be the Cruxis Crystal." Lloyd says as he walks to the table.

Colette goes over to stand by him. "That's right. They say I was born with that in my hand."She tells him with a smile on her face. _She almost always smiles, doesn't she? That might get old fast. . ._

All of a sudden, a bright yellow light appears on the ceiling and creates a path to the altar.

"Look at that light!" Genis points at it with awe on his face. _Oh no, it's him! Not Remiel!_

A angel descends from the ceiling. It has large white wings and wears a priest outfit. _That is so ironic. He pretends to be a force of good when he is really evil. _

Before the angels speaks, I hear Genis mumble something. "So is that Colette's real father?" _Oh yeah, I forgot. Colette is supposed to be the child of an angel. _

"I am Remiel. I am an angel of judgement. I am here to guide Colette, daughter of the mana lineage, on her journey to heaven as the seventh Chosen." As he speaks, our eyes make contact. _Whoa, did he just glare at me? I wonder why he did that? Freaky!_

"The time has come to awaken the Goddess Martel, who sleeps at the center of the world." This makes Genis mumble again. "Awaken the Goddess Martel. . . It's just like the legend Raine told us about."

Remiel then gives the glowing stone to Colette. It fits right onto the Keycrest on her necklace. The crystal glows for a moment, then stops.

"From this moment, Colette becomes the Chosen of Regeneration." Once again, I get a glare. _What are you staring at, you winged demon? _"We of Cruxis bless this event, and hereby bestow the Tower of Salvation upon Sylverant." _Cool! I'll get to see that t-_

There is a rumbling outside. Through the window, agiant tower reaches up into the sky, seemingly endless. _That looks so much bigger here! It must be because it's real. COOL! Where's a camera when you need one? Stupid primitive Sylverant!_

"So that's the Tower of Salvation!" Lloyd stares at it in amazement.

Genis is the same way. "Now the world will be saved!"

I feel the need to add something. "Don't forget, there's still trials Colette has to pass." Both of the boys nod their heads at me. Remiel continues what he was saying before.

"Colette, Chosen of Regeneration. Unlock the seals that guard the Tower of Salvation and climb its stairs to distant lands."

Colette nods. "I humbly accept this task." The angel continues.

"Very good. We of Cruxis shall grant you the power of the angels with each seal you unlock. Once you are reborn as an angel, this eroded world shall be regenerated." _You're using such stuffy language, Remiel. I hope Lloyd understands what you are saying._

"Thank you. I swear on my life I will regenerate the world." The Chosen nods as she replies.

Remiel seems pleases with her answer. "First head south, to the Seal of Fire. Offer your prayers in that distant land." _Vague, much? At least this one's easy. There is a desert to the south. Unbearable heat equals a Spirit's influence. I hate heat!_

"Yes, Lord Remiel." Colette looks nervous about something. Just as Remiel starts to ascend to the ceiling, she stops him. "Uh, wait! Please wait! I have a question I wish to ask of you. Are you really my fa-"

The angel interupts Colette before she can finish. "First head to the Seal of Fire. Understood? My beloved daughter, Colette." _That's so creepy to think about. Gross! _

Colette seems stunned. "F. . .father! . . . So you really are my true father." _Was that a trace of sadness in her voice? _

"We shall meet again at the next seal, my daughter." _Quit calling her that, you arrogant bird brain! I just want to yank out those feathers and stick them up y- _As if he sensed my thought, Remiel gives me one last glare and with it something surprising. **_You shall pay for the wrongs of you parents, foolish elf!_** He disappears through the ceiling.

_WHAT THE HELL? He just spoke to me in my mind! I wonder what Remiel meant by that? "The wrongs of my parents". . . I guess I'll find out at the seal._

"So that was the oracle." I look over to see that Lloyd and Genis are talking. "I wish Raine could have seen him." _Hey, is Lloyd going to talk to everybody? _

He heads on over and speaks to Colette. "Are you okay, Colette? You seem nervous."

"I can't believe Remiel is my real father. . . I'm all right. I was just a little surprised. That's all." To reassure Lloyd, she gives a big smile as she talks. Lloyd still looks unsure, but goes over to my brother. "Did you see that tower? It was huge!"

"Yeah, it was! It's supposed to reach into the heavens. That's a long way up. . ." Orkion looks thoughtful. "I hope we don't have to climb it, though! It would take forever." Looking a bit happier, our hero comes to speak with me.

"Hey, are you feeling alright? You look uneasy." _Does he only ask this to girls? That's sosweet, Lloyd! So noble and chivalrious._

"I'm okay. I'm just shocked that I got to see a real angel. Remiel did seem weird, really. It's probably just me." I chuckle at his suspicious look. "What? Stop looking at me like that! Go talk to Kratos. You haven't spoken to him yet." Still looking suspicious, Lloyd talks with the older swordsman.

"Colette must now go on a long journey to dearch for those seals."

"Yeah, it might take a while."

"What did you expect? This is not a field trip, you know." Kratos turns to Colette, leaving poor Lloyd unhappy. _Kratos, stop being mean to him! Lloyd was just trying to talk to you._

"You've recieved the oracle. Then let us leave, Chosen." _She has a name! It's COLETTE!_

Colette snaps to attention, surprised. ". . .Oh, yes." _Not used to being a leader, sort of, are you? _She turns to Lloyd and Genis. "Uh. . . thank you, both of you. Please stop by my house later."

"We're going on ahead. Tilly, Orkion, come on." Kratos says to us and all four of us head out of the temple, leaving Genis and Lloyd behind. _I hope Raine goes easy on them. Damn, I wanted to see Lloyd get kicked. That's so funny! Hahahahaha!_

"Where are we going now, Kratty?"

"Don't call me that. My name is Kratos, not Kratty."

"Why? Well, I could call you Gramps because you're old."

". . . I am not old. I'm only 28, Tilly."

"That's old compared to me! You're twice my age, old man."

". . .You have no respect for others, do you?"

"Okay, I'll call you Kratos. Just talk with me, okay? It's been three weeks since my brother and I have seen you."

"I have been travelling before I came here to assist the Chosen."

"Really? Not to change the subject, really, but what about our training?"

"We'll start tomorrow night. I will teach your brother how to use a sword, if Orkion still wants to." Upon he hearing his name, my brother joins in on the conversation.

"Of course I still want to! I want to help Sis more during battles."

"Well then, what type of blade do you want to use?"

"Hmmmm. . . What kind are there, Master Kratos?"

As the guys start to talk about different types of swords, I tune them out and walk with Colette. _She seems lonely. I'll talk with my fellow female._

"I can't wait to begin this journey. Aren't you excited, Colette?"

"Yes, I'm excited, too. I am going to save the world. Tilly, since you and your brother are coming, do you want to be friends?"

"Of course! I'd be glad to have friends to be with!"

"Alright! Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"How come you're travelling with just your brother? Don't you have parents?"

". . . Well . . ."

"Oh, I'm sorry! If you don't want to talk about it. . . I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay, Colette. My parents died five years ago, when I was nine and Orkion was seven. We were living in Asgard, the only elves there. Mother and Father had gone to Palmacosta to sail across over to Izoold. Father's job was to pick up and deliver packages for important businesses. The ship they were on never made it. It crashed into a cliff during a violent storm. There were no survivors. . ."

"I'm so sorry. . . I had no idea."

"It's alright. The reason I know Kratos is because he saved my life. After I heard my parents had been killed, my brother and I ran into a the nearby forest, distraught. A wolf came out, and right before it almost killed me, Kratos slashed its head off. He then helped me home with Orkion. After hearing about our parents, Kratos agreed to raise us and teach us how to fight. He's like a father to me."

"Wow, Kratos is a wonderful man, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he may hide it by being cold and indifferent, but he's a good guy, deep down."

"I agree. Tilly, there's my house! Come on, I want you to meet my father, Frank."

Colette rushed on ahead to alert her family about the guests. _I'm so happy that she is now my friend. Even though these memories aren't real, they hurt so much. . . _

_I guess this is my life, at least for now._

**A/N:** I'm getting farther. I plan on only describing boss or big battles, from now on. It takes too long other wise. . . Another thing is that the chapters shall be as whatever length I feel like. I'll just write until I get tired! Or run out of ideas. . .

Please R & R! The more reviews I get, the faster I am motivated to write! PLEASE!


	6. Colette's House and Noishe

**A/N: **I am shocked that I've already written 5 chapters. I never knew I could write like this! I thank the reviewers for staying with me! THANK YOU!

Eternum123: Thank you! Once again, you make me want to cry with happiness. -sniffles- I hope I can continue with the update-a-day routine. . .

ryutamer: Thanks for saying that, my best friend! As I keep telling you, have some patience; you'll come in at some point. I just have to write that much. -sigh- ON TO THE SEALS!

Sunfrost (): Thank you so much for reviewing! All you guys have kept with me the whole time. --sniffles again-- Yep, annoying Kratos is my specialty. He's easily ticked off. . . But only by certain things.

Gantz Gun: Thanks for reviewing my story again! The 'wrongs' shall be partially revealed at the Fire Seal. Now what to write. . . I don't have this fic written down at all. I just type what comes to me.

cindy: Thanks, Mom! I'll try to.

**There are some spelling mistakes my stupid computer won't get rid of, so it's not my fault if a word is spelled wrong or there's an extra letter. And any bad grammar is not my fault, too. I'm sorry!**

**DISCLAIMER:** Hmmm. . . I'm already running out of ideas for who to say this. Who'll be my victim this time? I know! Colette! Come here for a moment, will you?

**Colette: **What do you need, Princess?

**Princess: **Could you please come over here and say the disclaimer? There's a cute little doggie waiting for you at my house if you do.

**Colette: **A dog? I'll name it Poochie! Sure. -starts to walk on over-

**Princess: **Colette! Watch out! Don't step over that- -THUMP-

**Colette: **Oh no! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break it. . . I'll pay for-

**Princess: **-sweatdrops- No, it's okay. It was only a glass painting from Vinheim. . . Just hurry say the disclaimer, okay?

**Colette: **Um, okay. PrincessKaina2 does not own Tales of Symphonia in any way. She only owns Tilly, Orkion, their past, and anything else you don't recognize. She also has a broken portrait of Mithos on the floor, right here. . . -walks away to her puppy-

**Princess: **That painting cost me a lot. I had to give Yggy the photos I took of him in his wardrobe. I knew he likes to wear Spandex, but pink? The Lord of the Angels wearing a pink tutu was priceless! I guess I'll need more photos. . . Maybe I'll stalk Yuan this time. ON WITH THE STORY!

_Colette's home is pretty nice. Look at all these plants! Her family must like gardening. _My thoughts stay on the flowers even as the three of us step inside the large house.

"Grandmother, Father, I'm home!" Colette announces as she goes to find her family. _Wait, I wonder what happened to her mother? It was never explained during the game, so I won't ask._

Her father walks in with some food. "Colette, how did the trial go? If any of you are hungry, here are some cookies." _FOOD? COOKIES? Finally, something to eat in this world! They smell so good. . . _I reach over and take a cookie. _Ooooh, chocolate chip cookies! My favorite. _

"Father, this is my new friend Tilly Avera. She and her brother Orkion will be coming along with me on the journey." Colette introduces us as I shake Frank's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Tilly. I'm glad my daughter will have pleasant company on this quest."

"I'm happy to be her friend, too. I'd like you to meet Kratos, the silent man standing behind us." My remark makes the mercenary look up. "He wants to protect the Chosen while she regenerates the world." Frank looks happy.

"Yes, my mother said there was someone wanting that job. I'll go get the Mayor and we can all strike a deal. Just make yourselves at home." He steps out the front door, leaving our group alone. _I think I'll explore a bit. _

I walk over to Colette and tug on her arm. "Hey, can I go to your room while we wait? We can talk about things and eat at the same time." She smiles and the two of us head upstairs. Kratos and my brother stay behind, looking hesitant.

"You guys can stay behind if you don't want to hear girl talk. Call us down when the Mayor is here, will you Kratty?" All I get from the man is a twitch and a glare. _Fine, be that way. You could at least give me a verbal answer! _

"Wow, your room is pretty! I wish my room was this pink. . ." _There's some serious girl vibes in here. Colette has a lot of stuffed animals. Wait a minute, is that a Noishe doll?_

"What's this creature? It's so cute looking!"

"Oh, that's Noishe. Lloyd made that for my birthday last year. Noishe is his dog."

"His dog looks unusual. He is so adorable, though. I want to meet him someday." Before Colette can respond, Orkion calls up the stairs.

"Sis, Colette, the Mayor is here! Come on down." _That was fast. The guy must have ran over here. _"We're coming, brother!"

When we were downstairs, Phaidra motioned for us to sit at the table. Kratos, the Mayor, Orkion, and Frank were already sitting down.

"Good. We can now start." _Mayor, you're making it sound like it's something bad. Kratos doesn't look that shady, does he?_

As they begin to talk, I tune them out. _Why am I even listining to this? I'm not needed because I just follow Kratos. I hope Lloyd and Genis get here soon. I need saving!_

The door opens just as the Mayor finishes up. "Then, we shall entrust the protection of the Chosen to Kratos and Raine." _Ah, the crazy teacher is coming. I forgot about that._

"I have no objections." Kratos says with a look at me. _What? I'm fine with it. Just hurry up. My legs are cramping._

Colette notices the newcomers. "Thank you so much for your help earlier!" We all turn to see Lloyd and Genis standing in the doorway.

"Oh, you're back! Thank you for your assistance earlier! Please accept this small thanks." Colette's grandmother gives Lloyd a small book. _That must be the Collector's Book. _

"Thank you." Our small mage thanks her for the gift. _Not that much of a thank you, I think. Pretty much useless except to look at what you've gotten. Raine can have it._

"Thanks, Phaidra. Say, were you talking about the world regeneratin journey just now?" Lloyd is hopeful as he asks. _Be careful how you ask, Lloydie. . . _

I tune everything out again. _All his question will do is get Kratos angry and Colette sad. Lloyd doesn't realize that the mercenary does not want him hurt. Are they done yet?_

I look up when I hear the door close. I stand up and follow Colette as she goes to console the poor twin swordsman. "I'm going with her. Be back later." Kratos nods and I hurry out the door.

Colette was already talking to Lloyd. "Please, wait!" She trips as the boys come back. _How can she trip when there is nothing there? It's mind-boggling. _"I'm sorry."

"It's not like it's your fault." Lloyd shakes his head at her.

"Oh yeah. . . I'm sorry." I roll my eyes to the heavens. _You don't have to apologize for everything! _Lloyd seems to agree with me. "Listen! Ah, never mind." _It's no use explaining that to her. It is a part of her personality, I think._

"Oh yeah, happy birthday, Colette!" _What? Oh no, I need to get her a present!_

Lloyd looks puzzled. _You're her longtime friend, and you forgot her birthday? Bad Lloyd!_

"I baked you some cookies. If I knew you'd be leaving tomorrow, I would've made something a little more special, but. . ." Genis explains.

"No, no, I love your cookies! Thank you very much!" Colette looks very happy. Genis turns to Lloyd.

"So what about you, Lloyd? You promised to make her a necklace, right?" Lloyd chuckles nervously.

". . . Uhhh. . . heh. . ."

". . . Don't tell me you forgot."

"Uh, it's. . . it's almost done. Uh, I'll give it to you. . . tomorrow, before you leave, I swear!" Lloyd says to Colette.

"Really? I'm so happy! As soon as I find out when we're leaving, I'll go to your house to let you know." The blond girl smiles at him.

"Isn't it going to be dangerous?"

"I'm the Chosen, remember? I'll be fine. Tilly? Your brother can stay at our house tonight, with Kratos. I'm sorry, but there is no more room for you. . ." Colette looks at me. _Hmmmm. . . Where to stay?_

"Genis, can I stay over at your house? That way, I can be ready to go in the morning, or whatever time we're leaving." I say to the small elf.

He nods. "That would be fine. I'm sure Raine wouldn't mind at all."

"Good. I'll tell Orkion. See you later, then." Colette walks back inside her house and shuts the door. _I hope Genis cooks dinner. Raine is a disaster. . ._

". . . Liar." Genis glares at Lloyd.

"If I start on it now, I'll finish it in time." Lloyd explains to him.

Genis still seems suspicious. "Oh, really? Well, whatever. By the way, you're going home now, right? Can we go part of the way with you? Is that okay, Tilly?"

I glance at him. "I don't mind. I'd like to see where Lloyd lives, anyway."

"Sure, but where are you going to go?" The swordsman asks Genis.

"I'm going to see a friend."

"Huh? I didn't know you had friends outside the village besides me."

"Does it matter? Anyway, can we swing by my house so I can get my stuff?"

"Sure."

The three of us head over to the left side of Iselia. Genis' home has a small pond in front of it. _It looks nice and cozy. I guess Raine is only afraid of large bodies of water if she allows a pond. _

When we get inside, I head over to the bookshelf while Genis looks for sandwich ingredients. _Are these books Raine's or Genis'? I'll ask them later. What's this? "Ruins for Dummies" must be hers. "Map of Sylverant and Historical Sites" must be Raine's. Most of the books are hers! Wait, this book looks good. "Fairytales of the Land: Summon Spirits" is the ONE I might read. . . _"Guys, are you done yet?"

"Yeah. Let's go." Lloyd heads out the door and I hurry to follow him.

At the gate, both of the guards stop us. "Lloyd! Do something about this thing!" _Huh? What 'thing'?_

"What?" He looks over to see Noishe.

"Your pet! This. . . creature!"

"Noishe!" Lloyd approaches his 'dog', which gives a whine. "Hey! How many times have I told you not to enter the village?" Noishe gives another whine.

"Hey, you always have him bring you to the village! Don't talk to him that way!" _I agree with you, Genis! Noishe is too cute to be yelled at._

I walk up to the dog and hold out my hand. Noishe gives it a sniff and wags his tail. I pet the green and white fur. _It's so soft! I'm glad he seems to like me. _I continue to pet Noishe as Lloyd talks with the guards.

"Oh, that reminds me. Lloyd, the Mayor wanted me to ask you a question."

"From the Mayor? What is it?"

"It's about the northwest forest that you go through. You know there's a human ranch on the way through, right? You haven't been playing near the ranch, have you?"

"Of course not! Right, Genis?"

The twelve-year-old seems nervous at the question. "Y. . . yeah. Of course not."

"Really? If so, that's fine, but. . . that weird animal. . . " The second guard points at Noishe.

Lloyd gets angry at the guard. "How many times do I have to tell you that Noishe is a dog!" The guard backs away from him.

"Ah, sorry. He just doesn't look like a dog. . . Anyway, make sure he doesn't go near the ranch, either." Genis taps Lloyd's shoulder.

"W. . . we can go now, right? Let's go, Lloyd. Com on, Tilly." I agree with him and our group heads to the forest. Noishe follows us.

He stops and whines at the entrance. Genis looks puzzled. "Ah, that's right. Noishe doesn't like this place."

"He doesn't?" I ask Lloyd. He shakes his head.

"He'll never go near places like this that have lots of monsters. Even though you hardly see monsters bigger than him." Noishe whines again and runs away. "Ah, he ran off again! Fine, do whatever you want, Noishe." Lloyd just shakes his head and moves on.

In the area near the human ranch, Genis pauses. "Here's my stop."

"At the Desian human ranch? Doesn't going there violate the non-aggression treaty?" _Hey, this place is ruled over by Forcystus! We aren't supposed to know that until later, though. _I watch as Lloyd and Genis talk.

"But the Desians already attacked the temple!" _One point for Genis._

"Hmm, well, yeah, I guess that's true, but. . ." _Another point for the mage._

"I know I'm not supposed to. . . but there's someone I just have to tell about the oracle." _Three points! Genis wins!_

"Alright. But I'm worried about you going alone, so Tilly and I are going with you. Right, Tilly?"

His question startles me out of my daydream. "Of course I'm coming! You might cause trouble or something." I giggle at the glare from him.

". . . Shut up."

**A/N: **Wow, another major writing spree. Our talk with Marble is next, and then my stay at Raine's house. Will I survive the fight with the Desians or get killed by her cooking? Next chapter, people!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	7. Marble and Raine's Cooking

**A/N: **That last chapter was long, and I hardly got anywhere. . . I will get through this! Time for replies to reviews!

Gantz Gun: Thanks! Don't worry, I'll put lots of humor in this chapter! ("Professor, um, I don't think this is edible. . .")

Sunfrost (): Thanks for reviewing again! My cat likes to step on the keyboard, WHILE I am typing. ("Sam, move your furry butt! You're messing me up!"--"Meow?")

ShadowChocobo: Thanks for reviewing! I love to see, well, read new faces!

**I'm sorry that there were mistakes in the last chapter, but my computer won't let me replace it. I am so sorry for the spelling, grammar, and other mistakes last chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER:** I, PrincessKaina2, do not own Tales of Symphonia in any way. I only own Tilly, Orkion, their pasts, and anything else you don't recognize. I alsoown a picture of Yuan and a way to make his outfit. ON WITH THE STORY!

_Human ranches are horrible places. So many lives have been taken by the Desians, just to make Exspheres. These buildings just make me want to help save the worlds even more. No one should be put through these horrendous conditions. . ._

Lloyd, Genis, and I approach the ranch, where we can see slaves pushing stone blocks. A few Desians are cracking their whips on the poor people.

"Hey! Stop slacking off, swine!" The whip hits a young woman, making her push harder. _Why you-! How would it feel if you were the one being whipped?_

"Tilly! Come on, my friend's over here." Genis motions to the left of the entrance and we follow him. On the other side of the fence, there's an old woman in rags waiting. Genis calls out to her.

"Marble." She looks up at the sound of her name.

"Genis! Are these your friends?" Marble seems happy to see us.

"Yeah, I'm Lloyd. This girl is Tilly." He points to me. _Excuse me? 'This girl'?_

I smile and give her a small wave. "It's nice to meet you."

"I'm pleased to meet both of you." She smiles back at me.

"Marble, did you see it? There was an oracle!" Genis jumps up as he says this. He looks very happy.

"Yes I did. I saw the Tower of Salvation. Now, the Chosen's journey of regeneration can finally begin. I hope it is successful this time. . ."

"The last Chosen failed, right?" Lloyd's worried tone was obvious. _He really cares bout Colette. This is probably why they're a canon pairing._

"Yes. I heard the Chosen was killed by Desians during the journey." _Was it the Desians or the Renegades? My bet is on the latter._

Genis quietly speaks up. "I wonder if Colette will be alright?. . ."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Of course she'll be alright, Genis. She's Colette. All goodness and clumsiness!" He laughs at that.

"Let us pray to Martel. May she guide the Chosen on a safe journey."_ Yes, I hope Marble's right. Our journey will be very dangerous, and very long. . . Will I ever get home?_

As the boys continue to talk with Marble, I take a quick look around._This place is like a fortress! There's an electric fence, barbed wire, guys with whips, and other freaky things. All it needs is giant cannons to complete the look. If there were cannons, we'd be in a lot of trouble. . . _A shout from behind Marble snaps me back to reality.

"Hey, old hag! What the hell you doin' over there?"

Marble glances behind her. "Oh no! The Desians! Run away, you three! Hurry!"

"Okay. I'm sorry!" Lloyd looks away from her. She just shakes her head.

"Don't worry. . . just go!"

As we run away, Genis calls back to her. "I'm sorry Marble!" _I'm sorry, too. I know what we have to do in the future. . . I'm so sorry._

The three of us hid in some bushes in front of the compound. _Amazing. Bushes right in FRONT of the ranch. We're so lucky._

"Oh, this doesn't look good. They're taking her to the back."

"But what can we do?"

"Hey, if I can cut in, there's some higher ground over there where we could see what happening." I point over to the right of our hiding place.

"You're right! Come on, Genis. I'll carry you up."

As soon as we're on top, I spot Marble being whipped by the Desians. "She's. . ."

". . . We've gotta save her!" Lloyd says as he shakes his fist. Genis looks skeptical.

"But how?"

"You two attack the Desians from here with magic." _Wait, both of us?_

"What? Aren't we gonna get in trouble?"

"We don't have a choice! Afterwards, hide among the bushes and make your way back to the village. I'll act as the decoy."

"But that'll put you in danger!"

"Don't worry. I'll head down the cliff so they won't see my face, then I'll run in the opposite direction from the village."

I nod. "As long as you make it back okay, I'm fine with that plan."

Genis reluctantly agrees. ". . . Okay! You should replenish your energy before we do this. I've got some leftover cookies from the ones I gave to Colette. Here, have some." Lloyd quickly gobbles down the snacks and we all get ready.

Genis charges up his attack and waits for me.

"Hear my cry, O Lords of the Underworld! Kill these pathetic souls! Wicked light!" I whisper my spell just as Genis launches his. "Fireball!"

Our attacks hit the Desians, stopping them from hurting Marble some more.

One soldier swears. "What the-?"

Lloyd then jumps on top of one of the pillars and hops down in front of the entrance. _Be safe, Lloyd! _The Desians spot him immediately. "There he is! Stop him!" "Open the main gate!"

The men come on out, but Loyd is already hiding. Genis and I make our way down the hill and are almost ready to run when he trips. "Owww. . ." _Damn it! _

"What was that?" One of the soldiers heard him fall. _Oh, crap! We have to run!_

I grab Genis and carry him out of view as Lloyd distracts them. _Sheesh, he's heavy. I hope Lloyd's okay. . ._

I'm just putting Genis back on his feet when Lloyd comes jumping down the cliff.

"Lloy, they saw your face! I'm sorry! It's all my fault. . ."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad Tilly got you down here safely."

"Yeah, but. . ."

"I took out the ones that saw my face, and the rest of them are still back up on the cliff. As long as we hurry up and get out of here, they'll never know." _Have you forgotten about a technology called a 'camera'? Oh well. Too late now!_

"O. . . okay."

"Just do my homework for me, okay?"

". . . Okay."

"All right then, I'm gonna head on home. You two should head on back to the village." _I'll guess I will just see Lloyd's house another time. I'm getting really tired. And hungry._

"Lloyd, Tilly, thanks for helping Marble."

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?"

"Yeah, I agree with Lloyd. No one should have to suffer through that kind of treatment."

We say our goodbyes to Lloyd and head back to Iselia. The trip back is quiet, with no monsters attacking us.

"Tilly, I'm going to go get my sister, so you can go ahead to our house. See you there!"

"Alright. I promise not to do anything destructive."

"You had better not!"

I step into their home as Genis goes over to the schoolhouse. _This is very cozy. Hey, there are rooms upstairs. That's good. I thought this house only had one room. Everything is much bigger than it had been in the game. That means it will take more than a few minutes to get to Triet. . . _I pause in front of the stove. _At least they have some early technology, if this counts as that._

There were several notes pinned to the wall right behind it. _Genis must have written these, because they all tell Raine what not to do. _I take a look at the first one.

"Sis, the sugar is to the LEFT of the stove and the salt is to the RIGHT! Please don't mix them up again, like you did with the cake." _Oh my. She put salt in cake? Ewwww! _The second one is similar.

"Raine, eggs do NOT go in orange juice! And don't cook it, too!" _I am not even going to ask. That is GROSS! I really hope Genis cooks tonight. _I walk back to the chair I passed earlier and sat down. _I'll just sit and wait for them. I want to read that book, anyway._

When both of the siblings returned, I was reading "Fairytales of the Land: Summon Spirits" and was on the seventh page. Raine sat down in the next chair. I looked up.

"It's nice to meet, Tilly. I want to thank you for helping Genis earlier." I shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, Professor."

"After dinner, you'll be staying in Genis' room on the extra bed. Is that okay?"

"Sure! It's your house, and I'm just a guest. So what is dinner?"

"Well, my brother is fixing miso stew and I'm making dessert."

"Um, that's good."

"I have to go change, so I'll be right back." She heads upstairs, leaving Genis and I alone together. He's looking at me like I was nuts.

"What? Did I say something wrong, Genis?"

". . . You had to encourage her, didn't you? Have you looked at the notes by the stove?"

"Well, yeah. I saw them, alright. She looked so happy, though!"

"You get to taste her disaster first, because it'll be your own fault when you're sick."

"Very funny. . . Her cooking isn't that bad, is it?"

"It is. She's made salty, spicy, and fish sweet cake."

"Fish? Ewww!"

"That's not the worst. Raine's even fixed rabbit meat cookies."

". . . So wrong. . ."

"I forgot to tell you something, Tilly. We also went by Lloyd's house to tell him about the journey. Colette told him the time we're leaving."

"You did? That's good." _She told him the wrong time, though. . ._

Our conversation stops as the horrible cook herself comes back down. _I didn't know she was that bad. Rabbit cookies. . . _

As Genis cooks the stew, Raine and I talk together this time. "So, Professor, I looked at your books. Do you really like ruins?" I mentally flinch when she goes into Ruin Mode. _I'm making her happy, though._

"Of course! Ruins are the gateway into the past. There are a few-"

I sneak a look at Genis as she continues to talk. He's smiling at me and shakes his head before reverting his attention back to the food. _Why did I do this? Save me, Genis!_

"-the Balacruf Mausoleum is a fine example of the-"

"Uhh, I'm sure it is. I think dinner is done, Raine."

"-It is rumored to be the source of great wind magic and-"

"Genis, help me! She won't stop!"

"-the Tower of Mana is said to be the throne of-"

". . . Stop. . . this. . . torture. . ."

"I would love to visit- Tilly, are you okay?"

When Raine finally stops, my face is laying on my book from earlier. _Finally! I thought my brain was going to overload! When I asked why you like ruins, I meant a small answer, not a full-blown lecture! _"I'm fine, it's just that. . . I'm really hungry. Yeah, hungry!"

Genis calls to us from the kitchen. "Sis, Tilly, dinner's ready! Come and eat before it gets cold."

The food he prepared is sitting on the table, with spoons at the side. _Mmmm. . . That smells good! He's the opposite of Raine. _I take a seat next to him and begin to eat.

_This tastes just as good as it smells. _"This is really good! You're a great cook, Genis!"

He blushes at my compliment. "Well, um, I just followed the recipe. . . Thank you!" _Awwww, how cute! I made him blush._

When all of us are done eating, the Professor tells us to wait while she gets dessert. "Uhhh. . . Genis? When did she have time to make dessert?"

" . . . Oh no. She fixed it in her room. Remember, you taste first."

"Fine. You have to pay my funeral bill, though, if she does kill me."

"Deal."

We're shaking hands to finalize our deal when as Raine comes back with dessert. "Here it is! I call it Chocolate Soup." _What the hell? 'Chocolate Soup'? I'm going to die. . ._

I pick up my spoon and hesitantly take a sip. For a moment, it tastes pretty good. _Wow, it's not that bad after- AHHHHHH! My tongue is on fire! _Genis smiles wickedly when he sees my disgusted face. The Professor looks crestfallen.

"I messed up again, didn't I?"

"Cough. . . It's okay. . . Cough. . ."

"I put cayenne pepper in it as a special ingredient. I don't understand what went wrong." _CAYENNE PEPPER? What else did you put in it? My throat is burning!_

"Um. . .Cough. . . my throat. . ."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Tilly! Let me heal you. First Aid!" The burning stops at her spell. _Oh, I will never again taste her cooking, even if she begs me to. I really think she'll kill someone one day. I can just imagine. . ._

_"Here's a salad I made myself." Raine._

_"Why thank you, Miss." Tourist. "It tastes pretty- Ack! My heart!" Tourist falls over dead._

_"Oops. Was it lettuce or hemlock I was supposed to use?" Definitely Raine._

My disturbing vision is stopped when said cook tells us it's time for bed. "It's getting late. Time to go to bed,you two." She ushers us up the stairs. "Tilly, you can borrow some of my pajamas for tonight."

Raine gives me a set and I change in her room before going to Genis'. The boy is already in bed, with a book in his lap. "I'm going to finish my homework before I sleep. Nice clothes by the way, Tilly." He snickers at the pink ruin-covered clothes I am wearing.

"Hey, this is the pair your sister gave me! It's not my fault." I slip into the bed next to Genis' and pull the covers up. "Goodnight, shrimp."

". . . Get some sleep, Tia." He laughs as I glare at him. "Tilly, then. Goodnight!"

". . . Yeah. Go to sleep."

_I hate it when people call me Tia! I hope he hurries up with his work. I need some rest for the journey tomorrow. The only problem is that bad food gives me weird dreams. . . _

**A/N: **This chapter is long because I wrote part of it late last night. I was too tired to finish it. (Where'z the save button. . . Zzzzz)

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Reviews make me very happy, which in turn makes me write faster!


	8. Triet, Desert Oasis Part One

**A/N: **I can't believe I forgot about their trip to Lloyd's with Colette. I edited last chapter so that Genis tells Tilly about that. Silly me! Thanks for reviewing!

Sunfrost (): Thanks for reviewing! I love my cat, too. Yeah, her cooking is just wrong. . .

Sheriddan: Thank you for reviewing! I'm going to try my best with this fic. I'll also to to write for you.

Eternum123: Thanks! That's okay. I think she's only afraid of large bodies of water, just like Tilly.

ryutamer: Thanks for reviewing again! You have no patience, do you? You'll come in, sooner or later. Those today quizzes were funny, weren't they?

ShadowShamira: sniffles You really thinks so? THANK YOU SO MUCH! I've completed the game six times, so I know a lot.

**DISCLAIMER: **Who do I want to force to say this? Hmmm. . . Mithos! Come over here!

**Mithos: **It's Yggdrasil to you, pathetic human. -glares-

**Princess: **-gulps- Well, milord, will you please do the disclaimer? I have a letter from Genis for you if you do.

**Mithos: **-changes into younger form- Really? I'll gladly say it for my friend. The inferior human PrincessKaina2 does not own Tales of Symphonia in any way. She only owns Tilly, Orkion, their pasts, and anything else you don't recognize. WHERE"S MY LETTER? JUDGEM-

**Princess: **DAMN IT, WAIT! Here it is. Just don't kill me, okay?

**Mithos: **-glares again- Fine. I'll be leaving now. Tell Genis I said hello. -leaves the scene-

**Princess: **I'll do that. He gets such moodswings! Either that or he has a bipolar personality. I'll bet it's the latter. -sigh- ON WITH THE STORY!

_"Lloyd, look out!" I yell as a purple-clad figure attacks him. (That ninja is so fast. How are we going to stop her?) I approach the woman only to be blocked by someone else._

_"You'll have to deal with me before attacking my friend."_

_I look straight into the face of my attacker. (He's only my age. How is he going to hurt me?) The boy had dark skin and jet black hair. The clothes he wore were dark red and there were guards on his hands. His feet were aslo covered. "Try and stop me, human."_

_"You cannot defeat the might of Steven, pitiful elf!"_

_"What did you just call me?" I slash at him only to meet air. (No, not another ninja!)_

_"Come and get some! Flurry Finisher!" Steven's kick was too fast to avoid. I let out a cry of pain as it hit my shoulder. "Am I too fast for you, cutie?"_

_(Cutie? WHAT THE HELL?) "My name is Tilly, not cutie! Remember that! Star Shine!" My attack barely misses head, but still cuts his leg. Just as I thrust at Steven-_

"Tilly, it's time to get up! Kratos says he will drag you out of bed if you don't."

_Huh? _I keep my eyes shut as I wake up. _It's too early for this._

"Kratos! She won't get up!" _Go away, Genis._

I hearsmall footsteps walk away, leaving me to sleep peacefully. _Finally. Zzzzz. . . _

I'm disturbed again when a large shadow falls over me. _The only person who's that tall is- _My quilt is suddenly ripped off of me and the person who belongs to the shadow sits on the bed.

"Tilly, it is time to get up. Do you want to come along dressed like that?"

"S'early, Kratty. . . Zzzz- Ahhh!" Kratos shoves me out of the bed and I land hard on my ass.

"What did you do that for? I was almost asleep!" He chuckles at my response.

"It is time to get ready for the journey. I brought your pack, so you can brush your hair and everything else. Breakfast is ready downstairs, so hurry up." Kratos heads out of the room, leaving me sitting on the cold floor. _Fine, I'll get up. You didn't need to do that, mean old Kratos! I was having such an interesting dream, too. . . Who's Steven?_

The whole group was already eating when I arrive. I sit down in the chair next to Kratos as he hands me a plate. _As long as Genis made it, I'll eat! _The food disappears quickly into my stomach. Kratos gives me a look.

"Trying to choke, are we?"

"I was just hungry. Raine nearly killed me last night!"

"So I heard. What were you mumbling earlier? Genis said he heard you say something in your sleep."

"He did? Well, I was having an unusual dream. We were fighting some ninjas and I was cornered by one named Steven Dice. He called me a cutie."

"Stop looking at me like that! He really did. It didn't bother me so much because he was kind of cute, too."

". . . Only you have that kind of a dream. If you're done eating, then let us go."

"Okay!" I follow him out of the kitchen with Raine and Colette behind me. _Now we have to walk all the way to Triet. . . _

Genis just notices something. "Hey, where's Lloyd?" I shrug.

"He's probably asleep. I should be, too."

"Yeah. . . but I still think Lloyd would have remembered this. . ."

Colette speaks to me when Genis heads back to his house. "Um, Lloyd won't be coming. I told him the wrong time. I don't want him getting hurt, just for my sake." _If you think Lloyd won't follow us, you don't know him very well, then. _

"That's fine, Colette. If he really wants to help, he'll follow us." I walk over to the entrance with her to wait for the two adults. When they finally arrive, our group exits the village.

The trek to Triet was uneventful in the plains. The difficult part was crossing the desert. . .

"That's the fifth scorpion I've killed! It will take forever to get to Triet!"

"Stop complaining. We'll get there eventually."

"Why, thank you, Professor. Is that your book I see melting?"

"WHAT? My book isn't melting!"

"OW! I was joking. I'll be quiet. . . "

After fighting six more monsters, we were finally in the city of Triet. _Wow, this place is huge! Ooooh! There's a Kat. It's so cute! _Colette tugs on my arm.

"Tilly, it's getting late. Kratos is getting us rooms at the inn. Do you want to go see the fortune teller before bed?" I nod excitedly.

"Sure! Let's go!" I took off in the direction of the oasis. _Okay, there's the pond, food stall. . . There is the tent! _Both of us enter the cool tent.

"Welcome, young ladies. I'm doing free friendship fortunes right now. Would you two like that?"

I shake her hand

"Yes, that would be fine." Colette replies.

"Both of you think of someone. Here we go. . . " _How about Lloyd? Am I his friend?_

The lady points to me. "This person has some trust in you. Continue to help him and you'll be great friends!" _He does? That is great! _She then points to the Chosen.

"This person is your soul mate! It's rare that two completely matched souls find each other." Colette smiles at this. _Must've been thinking of Lloyd, too._

"I can do one more for each of you. Ready?" _Let's see. . . I want to know what Kratos thinks of me._

Once again, I'm first. "This person trusts you completely. You are like a daughter to him. He would do anything for you!" _Seriously? . . . I never knew I was that important to Kratos._

As I was thinking, the woman told Colette her fortune and was asking for our names.

"Oh, my name is Colette. I'm the Chosen One." The lady's eyes widened.

"I'm Tilly. I'm travelling with her." She shakes our hands again.

"Really? Wow, then you must be heading for the Triet Ruins." She points in the direction of the ruins. "It's supposed to be where the Fire Seal exists." I head out of the tent with Colette. She thanks the woman and we hurry back to the inn. Raine greets us there.

"Colette, you have a room to yourself upstairs. Tilly, you're sharing with Orkion and Kratos in that one over there. _I have to share a room with two guys? Well, Orkion is my brother and Kratos is like a dad. . . _

When I open the door, I'm greeted by an unusual sight. Orkion is jumping up and down on the bed. . . with Kratos. "What the hell are you two doing?" They both fall of the bed at my outburst.

"Sis? Um, well. . ."

"He forced me to do it. There was nothing elso to do." I laugh . "Stop laughing!"

I just keep laughing. I quickly change into pajamas in the closet and walk back into the room. Kratos is lying down, reading a book. My brother is already asleep, in his bed. _Wait, there's only two beds and Orkion's bed is too small to share. _

"I'm going to have to share with you, aren't I?" My groan makes Kratos look up.

"Yes. Now hurry up and get in. I want to sleep."

"Okay, okay." I crawl in the bed and scoot to the edge. _Like hell I'm going to cuddle. _"Goodnight, Kratos."

". . . Goodnight, Tilly. Sweet dreams."

_Tomorrow is the Fire Seal. I hope I don't get killed by the heat. . . _

Morning comes quickly. I awake to find myself against something warm. _I feel so safe and warm. . . What? That can only mean Kratos is-_

"Kratos! Stop hugging me like I'm a teddy bear!" All he does is hold me tighter, mumbling something. I glance over at my brother, who is trying not to laugh. "Help me! He won't let go!"

"Why should I? Master Kratos seems perfectly happy in that position. It's not quite time to go yet, so I'll leave you two in peace." Orkion continues to read the book in his lap and ignored us. _What the hell am I going to do? I'll just annoy him!_

"Kratos? Will you please let go of me?" I poke him in the side. "Kraaatooos!" He twitches his eyebrow. _Time for drastic measures. _"WAKE UP!"

Next thing I knew, my ass was once again on the floor, but this time I had a grumpy Kratos in my lap. _Uh oh. I don't like the look he's giving me. _"Tilly! Why did you do that? I was ASLEEP!"

"First of all, get off me."Kratos justseems to just notice this and he gets off my lap immediately. "Thank you. The reason I woke you up was that you wereholding me like I was a teddy bear! Is that a good enough reason?"

He looks stunned for a moment_. IsKratos, the great mercenary,blushing_?"I'm sorry. I didn't know I was doing that. " He gets back on the bed. "We can still get a few more hours of sleep.I promiseI won't. . . cuddle, Tilly."

"Okay. I may not be able to sleep after that,old man."

"I'll be quiet if you won't talk to me.Get some sleep."

"Yes. . . goodnight."

**A/N**: I'm sorry this was a day late, was busy today, and yesterday I had writer's block.

Do you want Kratos and Tilly to have a father-daughter relationship? They aren't related, but Kratos raised her and her brother, so. . . Please tell me what you want in your reviews!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!Reviews are like food to me. FEED ME!


	9. Triet, Part Two and Captured!

**A/N: **I think Tilly and Kratos shall have a father-daughter relationship. That sounds good! Thanks for the reviews, guys.

ShadowChocobo: Thanks for reviewing! Yes, annoying poor Kratty is fun!

Eternum123: Thank you for the food! Yep, Lloyd will be a kind of brother WAY into the story, when he knows who Kratos really is.

Sunfrost (): Thanks! It was fun to write, too!

ryutamer: Thanks for review again! Yes, I finally mentioned you. We're almost to where you two come in. HAVE SOME PATIENCE!

Ruler of Dimensions: Why, thank you! I shall do my best. (I really like your name!)

**DISCLAIMER: **Zzzzzz. . . What? Oh, time for the disclaimer! Genis, please come here!

**Genis: **Do you want something, Princess?

**Princess: **Could you say the disclaimer for me? Please, you adorable little elf.

**Genis: **-blushes- Um, okay. . . PrincessKaina2 has not yet commandeered Tales of Symphonia, for which we are all grateful she does not possess rights to. She only retains Tilly, Orkion, Steven, their past, and anthing else superfluous. Was that commensurate with my cuteness?

**Princess:**. . . My head. . . Thanks, Genis. You can go now. . .

**Genis: **Then I shall leave. Bye, Princess! -walks away-

**Princess:** He had to use big words, didn't he? I only know what "commandeered" means. ON WITH THE STORY!

"Tilly, it's time to get up! We have to prepare for the Fire Seal." I feel a small hand shaking my shoulder. "Sis, please!"

"Leave me 'lone." I blindly swat at the hand and bury my head back in my pillow. _I hate mornings. They are for sleeping only!_

"We're going to shop-" I quickly jump out of the bed.

"Shopping? I'll be ready in a moment!" Orkion rolls his eyes and heads downstairs.

I change into a clean pair of clothing and brush my hair. _I love to buy stuff. I wonder if there are any jewelry stands? _

When I arrive outside the inn, the rest of the group is already there. "What do we need to buy?" I ask the Professor. She hands me a list. _Apple Gels, Orange Gels, new weapons. . . We just really need the basics. _

"Tilly, there are some villagers that need our help not far from here. Could you and your brother stay and buy the supplies?" Her question catches me offguard. _Stay here? I could wait for Lloyd and Genis that way. . ._

"Sure, Professor. Come on, Orkion!" Everyone else leaves Triet as the two of us walk on over to the shops._ More like small stands, really. _

Orkion buys the weapons and armor while I get healing items. _Okay, I've got 16 assorted gels, 3 Magic Lens, 5 Life Bottles, and some sandwich ingredients. That should do. _My thoughts are interupted when someone gently taps my shoulder.

"Excuse me, Miss. Have you seen a young boy wearing unusual red clothing?" I turn to see a Desian looking at me. I answer as politely as I can.

"No, I haven't. Sorry, sir."

"That's alright. Report to us if you do." The man walks back to his fellow Desians. _Like hell I will, you freaky weirdo. Now, where are those two? _I can hear the men talking as I continue to shop.

"This is an order from Lord Forcystus! A human named Lloyd on the run with an Exsphere. His identification code is unknown. Form a cordon in all areas immediately."

"What does this Lloyd look like?" The second soldier questions.

"His likeness and description are on the wanted posters. We're counting on you."

"Yes, sir!" They all disband, leaving the first one to put up the poster. When they're gone, I take a look at it.

_Oh my. . . I bet it was drawn by a five-year-old. I can do better than this. _The picture did indeed look like it was made by a toddler. As I try to contain my laughter, I hear Lloyd's voice behind me.

". . . Am I this ugly?" He just seems to notice me. "Tilly! Is every one here?" I shake my head.

"No. Orkion and I stayed behind to get supplies while everyone else went to help some travelers. What are you guys doing here?" _I already know, but I have to act like I don't._

Genis appears by Lloyd's side and answered for him. "The village was destroyed by the Desians. It was because we tried to help someone and. . ."

"It's not wrong to help a person, Genis. I'm sure that person was very happy for the assistance."

"Yeah, you're right." He thinks for a moment. "If you two are done shopping, can we go find the others?" My brother comes over to us, his bag full.

"I'm glad you guys are coming with us. Especially someone my own age, Genis." Orkion smiles at the elf. Genis blushes and nods.

"Let's go then!" _I think I want to get captured with Lloyd. I want to see pretty Yuan. . . _A shout behind us stops us in our tracks.

"Wait!" The person shouting was the Desian that had questioned me earlier.

"Doesn't he look like the guy in the wanted poster?" The first one glares at me.

"Why you little-! You lied to me, wench!" I return the glare.

"I don't have to talk to a damn Desian like you!"

He ignores me and once again focuses on Lloyd. "You must be Lloyd!"

". . . Yeah, that's right." _Stupid Lloyd! Don't answer the enemy! _Genis turns questionly to him.

"Hey, what about your usual 'Who are you to ask for my name' thing?"

"I'm not even gonna bother." _You ask big bad bosses that, but not weak soldiers? Arrogant, much? _This makes the second soldier laugh.

"Heheh. . . I guess you can't run away with a poster of your face everywhere!"

Lloyd draws his new blades. ". . . You're really starting to piss me off!"

"Get them!"

I draw my own sword and dodge a slash from the first Desian. "I'll kill you for insulting me! Sword Rain!" I thrust several times at his armor, ripping it to shreds. "Now die!" My sword goes through his heart, killing the man instantly.

"Lord. . . Forcytus. . ." _One down, two to go. _

I quickly run over to kill the rest, but Lloyd has beat me to it. He uses a Sonic Thrust on the last Desian and sheathes both blades. "Heh. All talk." Genis reprimands him.

"Lloyd, don't let your guard down, or you'll regret it."

"I'm not letting my guard down. It's just they were so pitiful. . ."

I smile with Lloyd. "I agree. They were-Whoa!" Two balls of lightning strike both of us. I fall unconcious next to him. _Lord Yuan, here I come. . . _As the world goes black, I can hear Genis and my brother whimper.

"I'm. . . scared! Please don't hurt me. . . I'll be good."

"Yeah, I'll be good, too."

I wake up in a cell lying next to Lloyd. _My head hurts. . . I hope he's okay. _I shake his shoulders.

"Lloydie, wake up." He mumbles. "Get up, idiot!" I hit him hard on the head. "LLOYD!"

"Ow! What the-? Where are we?"

"Well, smart one, I think we've been captured by Desians." _We're really in the Renegade Base, but he doesn't know that._

"I hope Genis and your brother are okay."

"They can take care of themselves. Now, how are we going to get out of this cell?"

"All our supplies are gone, so fighting is out of the question." Lloyd looks at his hands. "Wait, I still have the Sorcerer's Ring!" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"What can that do?" _I know! It can burn things, such as guards. . . _

Both of us quiet down as we hear voices not far from our little cell. ". . . If so, I feel sorry for that Lloyd kid and the girl."

"Yeah. They can't possibly escape execution." _EXECUTION? I don't want to die yet!_

Lloyd is thinking the same thing. ". . . Execution? What the hell?"

"I really don't want to die today. HOW DO WE GET OUT?" I shout the last part at him.

"Be quiet, Tilly! I have an idea. When a guard comes by the bars, I'll light him on fire with the ring and unlock the door."

"That sounds barbaric, but it'll do. Here one comes!"

When the man walks by, Lloyd lets out a burst a flame. The Desian's pants catch on fire and he runs away, leaving the two of us alone again.

"Yeah! Hurry and unlock the door." _I want out of here! I have to settle my fangirl cravings first, though. Where are you, my sexy Yuan? _

He does as I say and we hurry over to the station. There are two chests next to the chairs. "Hey, I think our equipment is in these!" I open the first one to find my stuff. _It looks undamaged. Good. _

"Yeah, here's my swords. Let's get out of here."

"I definitely agree." _Noooo! I want to see the pretty blue haired man. _

Just as we round the corner, a soldier spots us. "Who the hell are you?"

Lloyd gets out his swords. "Uh oh." _Damn, more battles? _

The man is quickly disposed of and our trek to escape continues. A loud blaring noise now sounds throughout the building. "Lloyd, they know we escaped! Come on!" I run into the hallway, with him following me.

_Where is that one room? _I open the door in front of us. _Ah, here it is! _As I approach the cauldron, another door opens. _Oops, have to hide! _Lloyd grabs my arm and roughly shoves me into a hole, where, once again, I land hard on my ass. "What was that for-"

He covers my mouth with his hand, shutting me up instantly. "Tilly, be quiet." He whispers. _Damn, must-control-hormones. He's holding me! Oh. . . _My cheeks start to heat up, but Lloyd does not notice. _I thank him for being dense, for this one time. _Two soldiers enter the room.

"Where is he? That kid in red and the girl wearing blue disappeared!" _Girl in blue?_

"They weren't over there either."

"That's strange. How could we miss them when there's only one passage?" _Only one, my ass. This place is like a puzzle!_

"Let's head back." I take this moment to peek above the edge of our hiding place. The soldiers try to open the doors, but with no avail.

"Oh, yeah. This room has a special mechanism." Two Raybits come out and are electrocuted on the blue panels. _Fasinating. . ._

"It's annoying to go through all the trouble of electrifying them and moving them over the panels to open the door." _I agree with you on that point._

"Lord Botta sure likes to do things the hard way. . ."

"All right, let's go for those kids." We jump from our hiding place as the door closes. Lloyd looks pissed.

"Do our outfits stand out that much? Sheesh." He thinks for a moment. "Now let's see. . . we should take a closer look at that cauldron thing, Tilly." I nod and follow him.

"Can I use the Sorcerer's Ring?"

"Sure. Here." Lloyd hands over the small ring and I slip it on my ring finger. _It fits quite nicely. I can't wait to try it! _I put my hand over the cauldron. It made a weird noise and the ring changed colors. _It never did that in the game, though._

"The Sorcerer's Ring is acting strange. . ." Instead of shooting out fire, it shot out electricity. "Lloyd, I think I can stop those weird machines now." He nods and we wait for some Raybits to show up. _If I get mad at anyone, I could shoot them with this. It ti-_

"Tilly, there's one now!"

The machine floats over to us. I hit it with the ball of electricity when it passes over the blue panel. I do the same over on the other side. "Come on!" I run after Lloyd through the left door. _That was hard. _I look around the large room._ Isn't this the place with- Oh my. . ._

A giant Gamecube was floating in the middle of the room. Lloyd ignored the thing and walked over to the blue pillars. "I think we need to hit those pillars with the ring. Tilly, can you hit them?"

"Of course I can." _Which pillar to hit, though? _I fired randomly until the north door opened.

"You had no idea what you were doing, did you?" He snickered at my method.

"Shut up, Lloyd." I run ahead of him to the door and go through it. "No one's here. That's go-" My relief is short-lived as a Desian comes into the hallway.

"Hey, What are you two doing here?"

"Tilly, come on! Run!" Lloyd grabs my hand and practically drags me through the nearest door. "Phew. That was close." I give him a small shove.

"What was that for? You nearly ripped my arm off-"

"And just who the hell are you?" _IT'S YUAN! Must-control-inner-fangirl! _We both turn around to see a blue-haired man wearing a cape. Yuan is glaring at both of us. He raises his hand and aims a spell at me. _Whoa! Not me! Lloyd, act arrogant!_

Lloyd steps between Yuan and me and crosses his arms. "Give me your name, I shall give you mine!" Yuan just laughs.

"Hahaha! You certainly have guts. But I'm afraid I don't see the need to introduce myself to miserable little creatures like you."

_WHAT? _I push Lloyd aside. "What did you just call me?" Yuan just laughsagain. "I was just thinking the same thing, moron!"

"Why you little-" He fires up his spell and I raise up my arms to guard. This makes Yuan notice my Exsphere. "You have an Exsphere!" He turns to my companion. "You're Lloyd, then?"

"And if I am?" Yuan ignores him and approaches me.

"Who are you, elf?" _He's talking to me! Ooooh! _I back up to the wall.

"If you must know, my name is Tilly." I draw my sword, Lloyd doing the same. "Don't get in our way!" Before Yuan can reply, Botta and two soldiers rush in through the other door.

"Sir! We've recieved reports that the Chosen's group has infiltrated the facility!" Lloyd looks pissed.

"You. . . you're the Desian that attcked Iselia!" Botta laughs.

"So you're Lloyd! Now this is amusing!"

Yuan backs away from us. "Botta! I'm leaving for now. Our plans will be ruined if he sees me."

"What of the Chosen?"

"I'll leave that to you."

"Understood." Yuan turns to both of us.

"The next time we meet, both of you are mine. Just you wait." He exits the room, leaving Botta's group to surround us. _Damn! Where are the others? I don't think we can beat Botta without help. . ._

**A/N: **I'm really tired right now, so I can write no more. I hope everyone likes this chapter!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I'm being held hostage by my cats! They demand reviews! I BEG OF YOU! SAVE ME!


	10. Captured! Part Two and Triet

**A/N: **Thank you for the reviews! My cats finally let me go! THANK YOU! I am so sorry for the late update! I slept all day and went to see Pirates 2 with my aunt on the 19th, so no computer time. This site was acting up yesterday and I couldn't load documents. . .

The tenth chapter! -throws confetti- HOORAY! I have 789 hits! On to the replies.

**ShadowChocobo: **Thanks! Yes, being a fangirl would be very hard. The urge to glomp and/or tacklehotties would be hard to resist. . .

**Eternum123: **Thanks for reviewing! You're a fellow fan, too? I HAVE FOUND MY PEOPLE!

**ryutamer**: Thanks for reviewing. I take that as a compliment, dear friend. Come. . . JOIN ME! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

**Gantz Gun**: Thanks! I love my Yuan! -mumbles about pretty blue hair-

**Ruler of Dimensions**: Thanks! My cats are the rulers of the house. -MEOW!- Wha-? Coming, kitties! DON'T HURT ME!

**Sunfrost (): **THANK YOU! They reverted back to kitten-mode when you said salmon. -mumbles about demonic cats- I have two, also. Sam and Harvey are named after the T.V. show "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." My mom thought it was cute. . .

**DISCLAIMER: **-comes running in- She's gone. . . What? Oh, hello! My name is Steven. I'm the friend she based Steven Dice on. I guess I'll say the disclaimer, if no one else will. PrincessKaina2 doesn't own Tales of Symphonia. It would be full of gay men if she did. She only owns Tilly, Orkion, Steven, and anything else extra. That would be-

**Princess: **STEVEN! WHERE ARE YOU? I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!

**Steven: **-cowers-Oh, damn! She found me! I didn't mean to-

**Princess: **You broke my Gamecube! -pulls out a baseball bat- DIE!

**Steven: **W. . . what? Calm down! I'm sorry. . . SHE'S GONNA KILL ME! -flees-

**Princess: **Yeah, you better run! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE! -coughs- If you all will excuse me, I have to plan a murder. ON WITH THE STORY!** STEVEN!**

I back away from the soldiers. _We're in trouble. WHERE ARE THEY? _The door behind Botta opens, revealing the Chosen's group. Genis runs in, looking worried. "Lloyd! Tilly! Are you okay?" Colette is in a similar state.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?" The girl asks frantically.

Kratos looks us over. "They look fine." _That's all you say? That we 'look' all right? _

"You guys all came for us?" I smile gratefully at Colette. She gives a nod in return. _I'll live to see another day! I love my friends. _A laugh behind me interupts us.

"Perfect timing. I'll take care of everyone at once!" Botta takes out a large red curved blade and calls to the two Desians behind him. Kratos signals to our group to draw weapons.

"Get ready." He takes his own sword and attacks Botta.

_That's a really big sword Botta has. . . Wait! Don't come after me first! _I barely escape getting sliced in half. "Get away from me! Demon Fang!"

It knocks Botta away, barely leaving a scratch on the his armor. He looks amused. "Trying to get in my way? Rockbreaker!" _What? Oh cr-_

"Tilly, look out!" I'm shoved out of the way as Lloyd takes the hit for me. _No! Lloyd! _"Ah! That really hurt. . ." I run over to him.

"Are you okay?" Lloyd nods and stands back up.

"I'll be fine! Come on!"

"Okay!" I slash at Botta. "Shadow Break!" It goes through the already ripped armor, drawing some blood. _It's a good thing Kratos is so strong. He's already weakened it._

Kratos cuts Botta's unusual sword in half, ending the battle. The half-elf backs away. "Ugh. . . I underestimated your abilities." He drops the sword and flees to the warp pad in the back.

Raine picks up the broken blade, looking at the stone in the hilt. "Isn't this a. . ." Lloyd just notices the woman.

"Professor!" She smiles at the happy teen.

"Ah, Lloyd, Tilly. Genis and Orkion told me what happened." Raine glances at Genis. "I apologize for the trouble he's caused you."

Lloyd shakes his head. "No. I'm the one that dragged Genis into it. I'm sorry." Kratos interupts them and motions for us to leave.

"Save the chitchat for later. We shouldn't stay here long."

"You're right." Raine types something on the nearest computer. _At least, that's what I think it is. _"I opened the escape route just now. Let's go."

When everyone was outside the base, we were met by a worried Noishe. Lloyd ran over to him. "Noishe! You came, too?" He let out a whine.

"That's so sweet of him. Come here, Noishe." The dog let me pet his fuzzy ears while the rest of the group talked. "You are the coolest pet ever!" I got another whine from the animal.

"Yeah. Okay, Noishe! Let's go back now." Noishe runs over to his owner and howls. "Tilly, come on!" I nod and hurry to catch up.

As soon as we are all inside the inn at Triet, I collapse on one of the small beds. _I'm so tired. All that fighting and running in this heat has really taken its toll on me. I wish they would get the talking over with. . . _I reach into my pack and grab my book. _I'll just tune them out while I read. Okay, Summon Spirits were first discovered in. . . Zzzz. . ._

"Sis, wake up. You need to head to your room." Orkion roughly shakes me awake. "You'll be sharing with Colette this time."

"I'm awake!" I get up and leave his room. _So, I get to share with the Chosen, huh? That is better than the men, really. _Colette is already dressed for bed when I arrive.

"I'm going to bed, Tilly. Good night!"

I quickly change into the horrid pink clothes and hop into the soft bed. "Good night, Colette." _Tomorrow is the Fire Seal. Great, more heat! I'd rather be Flanoir. . . _

A knock at the door disturbs me from my peaceful slumber. _Who would be awake at this time? Oh, yeah. It's Lloyd. _I pretend to be asleep when he walks into our room. He stands beside Colette's bed. "Are you asleep?" Just as Lloyd was about to leave, she answers.

"Lloyd. . ."_ It is late, so hurry up and talk._

"Huh?"

". . . I'm sorry that Father, Grandmother, and I couldn't prevent your exile."

"You dork. It's not your fault, so you don't need to worry about it. And besides, I'm the reason why the village was devastated." Colette gets out of bed and faces Lloyd. I watch all of this with one eye open. _I feel bad eavesdropping, but I am in the same room. _

"For Marble's sake, and for the sake of the villagers that were killed, I'm going to do my best to regenerate the world."

"Yeah. . . I'm sorry I woke you."

"No, it's okay. Good night."

"Thanks." Lloyd left the room, leaving the two of us alone again.

". . . I'm going to do my best for you, too, Lloyd." Colette whispers to herself. _They ARE soulmates. That is so sweet!_ She lays back down and goes to sleep. _I'd like to see Lloyd talk to Kratos, but I am not going outside in these pajamas. I need sleep._

When I wake up in the morning, Colette is already fully dressed. "Oh, you're awake! Everyone is meeting outside, so come when you're ready, Tilly." She gathers up her stuff and leaves the room.

_We're meeting outside, huh? . . . It's too early for this. _I dress into clean clothes and pack up all my supplies. _Where are my ribbons? Oh, wait, here they are! _As soon as my hair is presentable, I rush down the stairs and out the door. Genis is the first to notice me.

"Finally! Only Lloyd is missing now." I glare at the small boy.

"Well, sorry! I'm not a morning person."

"I know. Kratos said he had to shove you out of bed at my house."

". . . I don't want to talk about it."

"Hahaha! He really did? You're more like Lloyd than you know." Our conversation is interupted as the twin swordsman joins us. Kratos looks pissed.

"We can finally head out to release the seal." He says, glaring at the teen.

"Yes. I'll do my best!" _That almost rhymes, Colette. Really creepy. . ._

Raine glances up from the book she is reading. "The seal Remiel spoke of is in the Triet Ruins southwest of here." _I hope that feathery jackass tells me about the 'wrongs of my parents'. _

"Cool! Let's go check out that seal!" Lloyd leads the group out of Triet. Genis shakes his head.

"We'll see if that enthusiasm lasts. . ."

"I'll be fine! Just you watch!" _I agree with him, Lloyd. I bet fifty bucks- well, gald, that you won't make it to the Seal. I have to remember gald is the currency, not dollars. _

Upon arrival at the Ruins, Lloyd stops to rest. "Ah, so hot. . . man, I'm beat." I put a hand on his shoulder.

" We just got to the place! You honestly can't be tired already, Lloydie?"

"Shut up, Tilly! I'm just sick of of this dessert." A long whine from Noishe makes us look up. "What's wrong, Noishe?"

"Be on your guard, there are enemies about!" Kratos draws his long sword and points in front of us. Two Fire Elements were floating towards our group.

When the monsters are defeated, Kratos mumbles to himself. "This is going to be a nuisance." Lloyd seems confused.

"What is?"

"Ah, nothing. Anyway, it would be a good idea for you to learn techniques to protect yourself." _You mean those special shield techs? YES!_

"Are you talking about self-defense training?" Colette asks the mercenary.

"Something like that. Techniques to raise your defense during battles. I'll show you how it's done. Once you grasp the theory, the rest should be easy." He teaches the others their techs first, before talking to my brother and I.

"Orkion, yours shall be Defender. Tilly, your technique wiil be Protection." "He quickly tells us how to use the tech. "Do you understand?" We both nod. "Good. Let us go, then."

_Protection sounds so cool! I can now protect myself. No more unyielding pain! I feel more confident already. _Lloyd feels the same as I do.

"Okay! I don't really get it, but I feel stronger! I can't wait to try it out!"

"I think you're just imagining things. . ." _Once again, I agree with Genis. Where does all that enthusiasm come from? _The Professor looks around the area.

"Hmm, what happened to Noishe?"

"You're right. He's gone." Lloyd sighs. "Ah, man, he's run off again." _I think the animal is the smartest of our group. He knows to stay AWAY from weird monsters! Unlike us, by the way. _

"He's probably nervous about the monsters. I think it would be best not to count on Noishe in places with monsters around." _Yeah. . . He would be a big help, though._

At the altar, Colette examines a pedestal nearby. "Say, is this the seal? It has my family's crest on it. . ." Raine rushes over to it.

"Fantastic!" _Oh no, she's gone into Ruin Mode! _She looks romantically at the flat piece of rock. "Look at this slab covering the entrance! It's clearly of a different composition than the surroundind stone!" Raine continues to examine the stone.

"Hahahaha! It's just as I thought!" She crouches on the ground and starts to stroke the slab. "This is polycarbonate, developed during the Ancient War to defend against magic! It's wonderous!" _This has to be the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. . ._

". . . Is she always like this?" Kratos asks the stunned boy standing beside him. Lloyd turns to Genis.

". . . Is she?" The small elf sighs.

". . . I've been trying so hard to hide it, too."

His sister continues to read the pedestal. "Hmm? This depression. . . It reads, 'oracle stone'. Colette, place your hand here. That should reveal the entrance."

"Really?" _No, don't encourage her, Lloyd!_

"This stone is enchanted with magic designed to identify the Chosen. There's no question about it." Colette places her right hand on the pedestal and the door opened.

"It opened! Wow! I guess I'm really the Chosen after all!" She happily announces.

"Yes, I think we all know that already." Genis replies sarcastically. _She may be a dork sometimes, but she's our dork. _Lloyd takes her hand and walks down the stairs.

"Okay! Now it's getting exciting! Let's hurry up and go inside!" I follow the perky boy. I hear Kratos mumble something again behind me.

". . . I hope you'll be able maintain that enthusiasm."

**A/N: **I am so sorry for the lateness! I'm pretty sure it won't happen again. The Fire Seal is next!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! The more reviews I get, the faster I update and catch Steven. **STEVEN! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!**


	11. The Fire Seal

**A/N: **I'm good at updating regularly, aren't I? I hope I can do this when school starts. . . I know have 962 hits! -dances- HAHAHAHAHA! **I am so sorry for the late update! I was grounded from the computer for so long. . . **

**Sunfrost (): **Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, I also hate wasting away half the day. Summer goes by so quickly that way. Your cats have such cute names! Actually, Samantha is a MALE cat and Harvey is his brother. Maybe that's why they're so crazy.

**Gantz Gun: **THANK YOU! I loved your review. Steven Dice will be VERY important. Just wait for Ossa Trail, okay?

**Eternum123: **Thanks for reviewing! This story is going to take forever to write. ("Finally! IT IS DONE!" "Honey, the grandkids are here." "Coming, hubby!") Oh dear. . .

**ryutamer: **Thanks, friend! How many times do I have to tell you? WAIT FOR OSSA TRAIL, IMPATIENT ONE!

**shadowshamira:** THANK YOU SO MUCH! I loved your review! They really do need their heads checked!

**DISCLAIMER:** I am so tired. I'll have one of my friends say it. Trevon is Steven's little brother, in real life and in this story. Tre! Come here, will you?

**Trevon: **I AM NOT LITTLE! YOU FA-

**Princess:** -backs away- WAIT! You're only ten, but that's beside the point. Can you please say the disclaimer?

**Trevon: **-twitches- Fine. . . PrincessKaina2 does not own Tales of Symphonia in any way, shape, or form. She only owns Tilly, Orkion, Steven, and their pasts. What do I get for payment?

**Princess: **What? You want to be paid? Well, I have fifty cents. . . -hands over money-

**Trevon: **That's all? SOME FRIEND YOU ARE! -exits-

**Princess: **I'm too tired to think of something witty. Need sleep. . . Zzzz. . . ON WITH THE STORY!

_It's so damn hot in here! Why couldn't this be the Ice Seal? I'm going to die. . . _"I think I'm going to melt, brother."

"Stop complaining, Sis. We still have to release the seal." My brother walks ahead of me to talk with Genis. _Fine! Abandon your own family! _

"We can rest here for a moment." _Really? I love you, Kratos! _I glomp him to show my appreciation. "What the-? Tilly, get off me!"

"I'm just so happy that I can rest! The fact that I am annoying you is a bonus." I ruffle his hair, giggling as the mercenary tenses.

"I'm going to count to three. If you're not off of me by then. . ."

"You'll do what? Impale me with your spiky hair?"

"One. . ."

"Hahahaha!"

"Two. . ."

"Uh. . . what's with the spell? Wait, you're not going to. . ."

"Three! Take this! Wind Bl-"

I quickly scramble off his back to keep from being sliced to pieces. "Are you trying to kill me?" Kratos chuckles in response. "I hate you." I give him the middle finger, which only makes him laugh harder. _Stupid teacher. . . _"I'm going to scout ahead. I'll be back in a moment."

I leave before anyone can respond. _Now I finally have some time to think. _I relax against one of the many stone pillars. _Who is Steven Dice? He looked like a ninja, just like the purple-clad girl, who must be Sheena. There weren't any other people in the game, though. . ._

A crackling sound snaps me out of my thoughts. A Fire Element was coming towards me, already charging up a spell. _What? Not more battles! _"Demon Fang!"

It disrupts the spell, giving me time to kill the monster. "Time to die! Sword Rain!" I put my sword back in its sheath as the creature falls to pieces. _I should go find my companions. It's too dangerous for me to be alone. _When I return, they are gone. _I can't believe this! They went on ahead without me! _

Lloyd is the first to notice me when I finally find them. 'There you are, Tilly! We're just about to head to the top." _At least you didn't go that far, Lloyd._

"Yes. Let us proceed." Kratos goes through the warp pad first, with everyone else following. _Weren't you worried at all? I feel so loved. _I'm the last to warp.

As our group approaches the seal, it starts to emit strong mana. Genis steps back. "Ahh! What the?. . ." _I can feel the strong power, too, just like him! _

Two small dinosaur-like creatures appear, followed by a giant red monster. _Those small things are Ktugachlings and the big one is the Ktugach. Those needles look lethal. _I draw my sword and prepare for battle. _Goddess Martel, don't let me die this early, okay? _

"I call to thee in Heaven! Give me your power- Protection!" My spell is interupted as several purple needles shoot towards me. _Damn, this boss is smart. I will just use sword moves, then. _"Take this! Star Shine!" Ktugach gives a load roar when I pierce his unprotected tail.

"Take that, you stupid be-" I hit the wall a moment later. _Owww. . . Note to self: Never insult an angry monster. They're smarter than they look. _

"I won't let you die! Healing Wind!" Kratos' spell fully heals me. He runs over and helps me stand up. "Are you all right?" I nod and jump out of the way of Ktugach's attack.

"I'm just fine! We need to concentrate on the battle!" _I think I'll stay quiet from now on. That really hurt! _I slash at Ktugach back again while Lloyd has itsfull attention. "Okay, you beast! Shadow Break!" _What the hell? It's not working! What to do, what to do. . ._

"Wait, I know! Orkion, let's attack together!" He glances over at me, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we attack at the same time, loon."

"Oh, okay! Ready? Star Arrow!"

"Star Shine!" What hits the monster surprises us. His solitary light arrow grows bigger and hits the boss at an straight vertical angle. _It kind of looks like Thunder Blade. . . _It explodes with bright shining light, killing Ktugach. "Bro, I think we just did Star Explosion."

"That was so cool!" Orkion jumps up and down, looking very happy. "We beat it, too!"

As the two of us celebrate our success, Colette approaches the seal and begins to pray. "Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength!" It breaks and a light from above reveals Remiels arrival. _Not the creepy angel again. . ._

"Colette, my dear daughter, you have done well."

"Thank you. . . Fa. . . ther." The blond seems nervous as she replies. _Already doubting who he is? That's good. _

"The guardian of the seal has fallen, and the first seal has been released. Efreet will surely awake soon. In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the angels."

"Thank you, my lord."

Three different colored lights come down form the ceiling and enter Colette. Two fairy-like pink wings appear on her back. _Those look look so cool real! I want wings, too! COOL! _

"The angel transformation will not be without pain. Yet, it is but for one night. Be strong and endure." Our eyes meet as he speaks. Remiel once again glares hatefully at me. _WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM? _

"I humbly accept this trial."

"The next seal lies far to the east, across the sea. Offer your prays at the altar."

"Yes, Lord Remiel." Before the angel disappears, he speaks to me. **_If you wish to know about your Cruxis Crystal, stay here when the others leave._** He vanishes in a poof of feathers. _I probably shouldn't trust Remiel, but I am curious._

While I was listening to Remiel, the rest of the group was in awe over Colette's new wings.

"Colette. . . has wings!" _Yes, point out the obvious, Lloyd._

"Uh-huh, and look, I can put them away, too." Her wings disappear instantly, making Genis even more excited.

"Oh, wow! That's so cool!"

"Here, look, look!" Colette contiues to flap her wings for him and my brother. Lloyd looks away from them and addresses the two adults.

"He said the next place is across the sea! That we get to sail on a ship! Haha! I can't wait!" _A ship? No, I hate sailing! I also hate the ocean._

"A ship. . . hmm. I wonder if there are any ships sailing with the way things are right now." _The Professor seems to feel the same as I do by the look on her face. _

"We should head to the coast to see what we can find." Kratos starts to head to the warp pad, motioning for the rest of us to follow. Lloyd glances at the younger teens.

"Okay you three, we get it already. That's enough." Giggles folow his statement.

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Okay. Let's go, Tilly!" I shake my head at Orkion.

"You guys go on ahead. I want to study this area some more." He raises an eyebrow, but says nothing.

When everyone else is gone, I sit in front of the seal, waiting for Remiel. _I really hope this isn't a trap. I'm not ready for death. . . _

**A/N: **Oops. I left a cliffhanger, didn't I? I am SO sorry for being late! My muse left me to make-out with Kratos. I think they did more than that. . . IT'S BEEN FOUR DAYS!

-coughs- I post stuff about my story on my Live Journal. Feel free to comment! Here's the link:

princesstilly2 . livejournal . com

(minus the spaces)

READAND REVIEW! Reviews keep me from hurting Yuan, who's my muse by the way.

**Yuan: **What? What do you mean by that?

**Princess: **There you are! It took four days to give a kiss to Kratos, huh?

**Yuan: **-blushes- Well, um. . . REVIEW PLEASE!

**Princess: **Yes, Kratos prefers his body unharmed. -dodges angry half-elf-

**Yuan: **PRINCESS!


	12. The Truth from Remiel

**A/N: **Wow. . . I didn't know that many people cared about my story. I recieved happy threats because of the cliffhanger. Hahahaha. . . -glances around nervously-

The reason for this being late is good. Everytime I was set to type, I just blankly stared at the screen. Nothing came to me until now! **I AM SORRY!** (On a side note, I've gotten 1167 hits! WHY AREN'T THEY REVIEWING?)

**Eternum123: **Thanks for being so patient! DEATH TO REMIEL! -coughs- Sorry about that. I feel hyper all of a sudden.

**Gantz Gun: **Thanks! I just have to figure out a plot for all that. . . ("Why the hell did I write that?" "Meow?" "No, it's not your fault, Sam.")

**ShadowofUndine: **Thanks for the great review! I'm glad that someone spotted my mistakes. POSITIVE CRITICISM ROCKS!

**Ruler of Dimensions: **Thanks for the review! Protect me my kitties! -waits for fight- Sam? DON'T JUST LAY THERE! ("Meow?") No, it is not time for dinner. (". . . Meow. . .") Wait, don't leave me!

**Sunfrost (): **Thank you for reviewing! Sam is the dominant cat in our household. He is also the boss of me. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with a cat butt on my face. ("Zzzz. . . Wha-? AHHHHH!" "Meow. . .?")

**AnimeCrazy88: **Thank you! Here's the next chappie! ENJOY!

**ShadowChocobo: **Thanks for the review! Sorry for the evil cliffie! Congrats for being the 50th reviewer! -throws confetti- Instead of Trevon, Lona is going to be a character!

**AllHailCheescake: **Thanks! I'm glad it's funny. It is the result of my twisted humor. Does that mean I'm evil? -gasp-

**DISCLAIMER: **Can you wait a moment, please? I need to speak to my muse. **YUAN! **Get your half-elven ass over here!

**Yuan: **What? Did I upset you, your majesty?

**Princess: **It's been nearly a week since you gave me ideas! WHERE WERE YOU? I'm late again!

**Yuan: **-backs away- Uh... w-well, K-kratos needed m-me. . .

**Princess: **He did? What for, my cute angel? -twitches-

**Yuan: **. . . I see no need to answer that.

**Princess: **I KNEW IT! You guys can't take a break from se-

**Yuan: **Don't say it in public! I'll do anything, Princess!

**Princess: **Say the disclaimer, little uke.

**Yuan: **-glares- PrincessKaina2 does not own Tales of Symphonia or anything else you recognize. She only owns Tilly, Orkion, Steven, and their pasts. If this mad woman owned it, would I be here?

**Princess:** -giggles- Lloyd would be my dorky boyfriend and you would have a bigger part in the game, as the husband of Kratos! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! -coughs-

**Yuan: **. . . Oh Goddesses, someone help me! Since Princess looks busy, I'll say her part. ON WITH THE STORY!

_Remiel better get his feathery ass over here soon. My butt is going numb from sitting here so long. _I look up as a bright light comes down from the ceiling. _FINALLY! _"What took you so long, Lord Remiel?" All he does is glare at me. _Your face might stay that way if you glare any more._

"I had to wait for the others to leave, elf."

"Now that you're here, what about my crystal?"

Remiel tosses a small piece of paper down to where I am sitting. "Read this first." _What does some writing have to do with my Cruxis Crystal? _I begin to read the document.

"The Desians from the Palmacosta Ranch located the thieves of the stolen Exsphere yesterday near the city. The criminals were two pure blood elves in charge of a small shipping company." _Wait, two elves. . .? _"When a small squad reached the ship on which the elves were on board, they could not find the crystal. The ship was set fire to and destroyed. The criminals executed were Cindy and Mark Avera." _No! It can't be! _I look back up at the angel.

"My. . . my parents were. . . criminals? How can this be?" I could barely keep my voice from breaking. _They were murdered?_

"They helped some refugees from the Asgard Ranch. An old man gave your father the Exsphere he had been wearing. It would have been irrelevant if not for the type of crystal." He paused to point at my right hand. "It was going to be part of the Angelus Project because of the unusual color." _That's the project where Lloyd's was made. . ._

"So it really is a Cruxis Crystal? How come?"

"It turns out that you are fully compatible with the crystal, which is the reason why you are still alive. You and your brother were left alone in Asgard in order to grow it."

". . . I don't know what to say. . ."

"That Key Crest was given to you by Lord Kratos, correct? It prevents the parasitism from happening and from killing you." Remiel starts to head towards the ceiling. "You will have a chance later on to become a Seraphim or to perish, little elf! Hahaha!" He disappears in a burst of light.

I stay on the floor, thinking. _My parents were murdered just for this stupid thing. . . Damn, I want to go back to the real world. I can't, though. I have to help the Chosen and Lloyd to succeed. I think that's the only way to go home. _As I start to get up, a flash of pain goes though my head.

"Ow, what the hell? Not again!" Several scenes pass through my mind, all including the same woman. _Who's she? _

The woman looked to be about twenty-years-old, with a sword at her hip. Her hair was a light blue color and was quite long. The female was wearing a forest green tunic, the pants and hair tie the same color. Her sharp eyes were a bright green, always watching the enemy.

_I know her name! Just like with Orkion, it's on the tip of my tongue! Uh. . . Lilly, Lark, Lila, Lano. . . I got it! It's Lona Chocobo! _The memories stop at my sudden triumph. _We met in Asgard after she escaped from the nearby ranch. She has been my best friend for three years. Lona has a Key Crest-less Exsphere, but she keeps it a secret from Kratos, since she seems to be okay._

Footsteps disturb my thinking. "Tilly, are you all right?" Lloyd walks over to me looking worried. "You were taking so long." I shrug off his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine. I just felt. . . dizzy for a moment."

"Good. We need to catch up to the others. We were all waiting for you." He grabs my hand to help me get up and leads me out of the temple. . . still holding my hand. _Do I look like a fragile little girl?_

"Uh, Lloyd? I appreciate your chivalry towards women, but you can let go of my hand now."

"What? Oh, sorry!" Lloyd blushes and quickly releases my now sad hand. _Damn, I was hoping he wouldn't let go! Lloyd is pretty cute. I would go after him if not for the OBVIOUS bond between him and Colette._

"Sis! What took you so long? It's hot out here!" I give my whiny brother a shove before answering.

"I got a little dizzy in ther-" Raine has her hand on my forehead before I can finish the sentence.

"You seem to have a slight fever. You need to rest when we get back to Triet." _Oh, come on! I hate being sick. . ._

Before our group can exit the Triet Ruins, Colette suddenly collapses on the stone floor. Lloyd rushes to her side. "Colette! Are you okay?"

"I'm. . . fine. . ." She replies weakly to him.

"You don't look fine at all!" Genis seems worried. "Your face is completely white! It's all my fault. I got carried away and kept making her pull her wings in and out."

"I don't think that has anything to do with it. . ." Lloyd reassures the younger boy.

"Now's not the time for that! Her lips are turning purple." _Purple? That's not good. _"We must get her to a doctor in the city immediately."

Kratos stops the Professor. "Wait. It's best not to move her." Lloyd looks confused.

"Why?"

"Remember the angel's words. The angel transformation process requires her to overcome a trial. Rather than taking her to a doctor, it would be best to let her rest here."

Colette struggles to her feet. "I'm. . . okay. I'll be fine after a little rest. I'm sorry to cause so much trouble. . ." _Not everything is your fault!_

Lloyd lends her his arm and I do the same. "Stop apologizing all the time, you dork! It's not as if you can help it. You were suddenly turned into an angel."

"I totally agree with you, Lloyd." I give Colette's hand a gentle squeeze. "Not everything is you your fault." She smiles at our words.

"You're right. . . I'm sorry." I roll my eyes. _I tried, at least. _The twin swordsman just sighs.

"Well, anyway. . . let's set up camp before it gets dark."

We pull out five sleeping bags from our supplies and set up camp in a nearby clearing. _Only five? But there's seven of us. . . _I sit down next to Noishe. "How are you, my sweet doggie?" The dog wags his tail.

"Whine."

"That's great." _Weird, I can understand him. _I search through my satchel for food. "Ah! Here you go." I give Noishe a small piece of jerky.

"Whine!" I get more tail wags. _You make me miss my real dog, Sadie. She loves to eat, too. _He cuddles up to me, setting his head in my lap. _I guess I could tolerate this kind of snuggling. _I lay down with him, staring at the stars.

"Noishe seems to really like you, Tilly." Kratos sits on the other side of the dog. I glance overat the mercenary.

"Yeah. It must be because I love animals. I am more of a cat person, though. What were you doing?"

"I was just talking with Lloyd." He sighs and changes the subject. "Who are you going to share with?" _Not with you again. I am not a teddy bear!_

"I don't know. Orkion will probably kick me during the night and you are a cuddly sleeper. . ." I manage to make Kratos blush with the comment. "Colette needs to rest by herself, so that leaves Lloyd."

"I'm not sure you should-"

"I know he's a little older than I am. Do you really think Lloyd would do anything to me?" I raise an eyebrow at the man.

". . . You're correct. He's so innocent. . ."

"If he does do anything, I'll kick him where it hurts, okay?" Kratos puts his head in his hands. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"I have no idea where you picked up such vulgar thoughts."

"I think mainly from reading your books." I take out one from my pack. "Such as this one. I didn't know you were into these kind of books, Kratty." He quickly grabs the book from my hands and put it away.

"This was a gift. I got it from an old friend." _Probably Yuan, right? I can imagine the two of you reading this. . . Oh! Bad images! _"It's time for bed." He walks over to his own sleeping bag and leaves me alone. _Aw, I wanted to torture him some more!_

I go behind some trees to change into my pajamas. _I'm going to buy some new ones the moment we reach Palmacosta. _When I reach my bag, Lloyd is already in it. "It seems we'll be sharing, Tilly. You don't have any sleeping problems, do you?"

"Well, I usually toss and turn some, but that's all. You better not snore, loon."

"I do not snore! Just hurry and get in. I'm getting cold." I notice that he took off his gloves and boots. "What?" I climb in beside Lloyd, scooting away from the teen. "I don't have cooties or anything, you know."

"I realize that. I'm just afraid some of your denseness will rub off on- OW!" He cuts me off by whacking my head. "What was that for?"

"For calling me dense." Lloyd lays down and closes his eyes. "Good night, Tilly."

"Good night, Lloydie." I giggle at the one-eyed glare I get from the boy. _So much has happened today. I wonder, what will happen tomorrow?_

**A/N: **I got another chapter done! I hope there will be no more delays. Am I right, Yuan?

**Yuan: **Yes, no more delays! Now, untie me this instant, brat!

**Princess: **I'm not going to do that. I can't have you escaping to Kratos, now can I? Especially with you calling me names. -holds up gag-

**Yuan: **W-wait! Don't do- Mmmppphhh!

**Princess: **-coughs- Now where were we? Oh, yes. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Reviews give me energy and ideas for keeping my muse here. -thinks for a moment- Yuan, is it alright if I bring Kratos here, too?

**Yuan: **Mmmmppphhh! -glares hatefully at Princess-

**Princess: **Reviewers, should I change the type to Action/Adventure/Humor, or keep it the way it is? I need your opinions!


	13. Morning in Camp

**A/N: **Here is chapter thirteen! I have bad luck about this number, so I hope nothing goes wrong. . . **I'm sorry about the shortness of this chapter! I am busy with getting ready for school (starts in a week-and-a-half) and I'm getting everything nice and organized. **

**Eternum123: **Thanks! My sense of humor is good, is it not? Lona will come, okay?

**Sunfrost (): **Thanks for reviewing! I despise him, too. I go back to school August 16th.

**ShadowChocobo: **Thank you! Lona shall come sooner than you think.

**AnimeCrazy88: **Thanks for reviewing! Tilly shall have a boyfriend, don't worry. The time the next chapter comes depends on my muse. . . -coughsexcrazedcough-

**Gantz Gun: **Thank you! I'm glad all that is cleared up, even though there's more, I think. Here is the update!

**Queen of Spaz: **Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like this story.

**girls prayer: **Thanks! I'm happy that people think it is good. Here's the update!

**DISCLAIMER: **We have a special guest with us today. Say hello to Kratos, everybody!

**Kratos: **I'm only here to make sure Yuan is okay. Where is he, Tilly?

**Princess: **My name as the authoress is Princess, not Tilly.

**Kratos:** Fine then. Princess, where is Yuan?

**Princess: **-sweatdrops- Um, well. . . I don't know.

**Kratos: **You don't know? WHAT DID YOU DO?

**Princess: **-cowers- Don't yell! I gave him to Meowzy-chan! She's my favorite author on this site, and she wanted to see him. Did I do something wrong, Kratty?

**Kratos:** Oh Goddesses. YOU GAVE HIM TO A FANGIRL? -twitches-

**Princess: **-giggles nervously- He was being annoying. We'll look for him during the fic, okay? Just say the disclaimer.

**Kratos:** . . . Yuan will probably be in his underwear and have short hair. His clothes will be on the internet, along with his ponytail. -sighs- PrincessKaina2 does not own Tales of Symphonia. She only owns Tilly, Orkion, Steven, and their pasts. Lona belongs to ShadowChocobo, who is a very kind reviewer.

**Princess: **I already bought his cape! -wears pretty cape- ON WITH THE STORY!

I am awakened from my slumber by the sounds of people moving around. _Oh, it must be morning already. I'll just sleep a little bit longer. . . _I nuzzle my head back into the warm pillow behind me. _. . . Wait, 'warm' pillow? What the-? _

"LLOYD!" My yell makes the boy sit straight up, looking startled.

"What? What's wrong?" I smack his head in response. "OW!"

"You were snuggling, idiot! I AM NOT A TEDDY BEAR! First Kratos, now you!"

"I can't help it! It's natur- Kratos did what?" I quickly get out of the sleeping bag and grab a fresh change of clothes. _Oops. I wasn't supposed to say that. Kratos is going to kill me. . . _

"Forget what I said, Lloyd." I quickly change into my blue clothes behind the nearby tree, making sure to brush my hair. I check up on the others when I'm done. _Genis and Colette are making breakfast. Good. Raine is reading a book, which means she is not helping, which is very good. Where's Kratty?_ A spiky mess of red hair grabs my attention. _Oh, he's still asleep. _

I crouch down by the swordsman, an evil plan forming in my mind. _I'll get him for shoving me out of the bed in Iselia. . . _I run my fingers through Kratos' hair. _This is strange. In my world, I would be having fangirl conniptions just by being near him. He like a father now, though. _"KRATOS! Time to wake up!" _Ah, sweet, sweet reve- _"Owww!"

Kratos slaps my head hard. "Thank you so much for the abrupt wake-up call." I give the man a shove. . . which does absolutely nothing. _Curse his overwhelming strength! _

"You were the only one asleep." I rub the bruise I'm sure is forming on my head. "I'm surprised you weren't awakened by Lloyd and I."

"What happened?"

"Just like you did to me, I woke up to being held like a stuffed animal." _I don't really mind too much, actually. Just it being done around other people. _"It's kind of disturbing, really."

"Life is never boring with you, Tilly."

"I take that as a compliment." I smile at the mercenary and left him to get some food. _I am sooooo hungry! I miss my aunt's cooking, too. Hey, I smell sausages! Sooooo hungry. . . _"Colette,is the food done yet?" I say as I sit by the warm fire.

"It's almost ready. We just need to wait for everyone to wake up first."

"Great!" My mind drifts back to that dream I had not long ago. _We will probably meeting that Sheena soon. Will Steven be there, I wonder? I'll just ask h- _"WHAT THE HELL?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Tilly! I wasn't watching where I was going."

". . . It's okay, Colette. I just need to wash off. . ." My head and shoulders were now drenched with a sticky liquid, which I assumed was the syrup for breakfast. "I'm going to go find a river, okay?" _This stuff better wash off! I'm very vain about the way my hair looks. _As I leave the small camp, a large hand on my shoulder stops me.

"You shouldn't go off on your own. There are still monsters about."

I angrily turn around to face the mercenary. "Then why don't you come with me? I am NOT going around with my hair like this!"

"Calm down. I will come with you."

"Good. Let's go! I can feel my hair getting stiff already. . ." I run ahead of the man. _Where is it? There should be a river around here somewhere, right? Aha! Found it! _"Kratos, can you turn around? I need to wash my tunic, too."

He nods and goes over to sit behind a nearby tree. "Be quick about it."

_Is that a blush I detect? Kratos is so rigid about many things, but when it comes to women, he's just like any other male. _I start to take my top clothes off when a cold nose touches my hand. "What? Oh, hello there, Noishe!" The dog whines and wags his tail as he sits down on the bank of the river.

"You can stay, Noishe. I don't mind."

"Whine."

I quickly strip off the sticky tunic and lay it beside the animal. All I am wearing now is the undershirt and my bra **(1)**. My hair is throughly washed by the time I'm done with it. _I am SO glad I bought that soap in Triet. Now I can wa- Where did my top go?_

"Whine!"

"NOISHE! Give me back my tunic right now!" I grab the end that is sticking from his mouth. "Stop slobbering all over it!" I try to tug my shirt from the dog, which, unfortunately, does not work. "No! It's ripped in half! What am I supposed to wear now?"

"Whine. . ."

"It's not your fault, sweetheart. I just pulled too hard. KRATOS!" The man hurries over to where I am sitting.

"What happened?"

"Noishe had my tunic, so I tryed to get it back. It ripped completely in half, so I can't wear it."

". . . That's all? I thought you had been attacked by the urgency in your yell." I glare at Kratos.

"Enough with the sarcasm. I need something to wear." I grab the pack from his hands and start to look through it. _He has got to have something extra in here! Wait, here's a nice shirt. It's blue, too. _"Kratty, can I wear this?"

**A/N: **This took a while to write. I hope people like it. **There will be a longer chapter next time! I cannot write anymore because my aunt is yelling at me to go home, so no threats about the cliffie!** You can threaten my dear aunty, though. Kratos, did you find Yuan, yet?

**Kratos: **I found him. He still had his clothes, minus the cape of course. Yuan was talking with Meowzy and some of her friends about a new story.

**Princess: **Really? That's good. Will he be coming back soon? I have some good plans for next chapter. . . MUAHAHAHAHA!

**Kratos: **-sigh- he said he'll be coming back. Yuan wants his cape. If you loyal reviewers want Yuan back, **please read and review!** I cannot stand anymore time with this insane authoress.

**(1): **I need one of these no matter where I'm at. I am NOT going anywhere without one! Sympathize wth me, okay?


	14. Ossa Trail and Ninjas! Part One

**A/N: **This will probably be the last post before school starts. I'm not sure if I can keep up with the update-a-week thing going on, so expect lateness or even early posts. I just need to fit everything into a school schedule. . . **I have a very good reason for being late. Everytime I would sit at the computer, my mind would go blank. My next course of action was to slam my hands on the desk. . . freezing the machine. ("ARRRGGGHHHH!")**

**StarlightDemonFiresong: **Thanks for reviewing! Tilly will be having more bad luck, don't worry. (I LOVE your new name!) I have to get off at 8 p.m. because it's getting too close to school.

**Eternum123: **Thank you for reviewing! Wait, you are a guy, aren't you? You don't have to, okay? Yuan finally came back to me! I get his cape, so you can have his armor and the Swallow.

**AnimeCrazy88: **Thanks! Yeah, I wouldn't mind cuddling with Lloyd. I would love to do that with Kratty, but since he's a father figure in this story, it's really creepy.

**Ruler of Dimensions: **Thanks for reviewing! Typing starts to be rocket science at 2 a.m. I have to have my aunt read the document several times after a night like that. . . ("Tilly, what's 'okftg'?")

**Gantz Gun: **Thanks! Tilly will be having many more rough days, much to her disappointment. Steven is finally here! (My real friend was driving me nuts.)

**ShadowChocobo: **Thans for reviewing! Yes, it is the worst crime to perfect hair, don't you think? Lloyd. . . -drools- If only Kratos was not a father-figure. . . -sigh-

**moon eclipse shadows: **Thanks! I despise the creepy angel, too. Hey, I start on the same day as you! Cool!

**girls prayer: **Thank you! Here's the update!

**Fantasynator: **Thanks for reviewing! I'm happy that you like it.

**Princess: **Wow, I got nine reviews! That's the most I have ever gotten at once! THANK YOU! Yuan came back because of your kind words.

**Yuan: **I only returned so I could keep Kratos company. The reviewers can go and-

**Princess:** NO! No flipping off the readers! Just say the disclaimer, Yuie.

**Yuan: **. . . Don't call me that. PrincessKaina2 does not own Tales of Symphonia in any way, shape, or form. She only owns Tilly, Orkion, Steven, their pasts, and anything else you don't recognize. Lona belongs to ShadowChocobo.

**Princess: **Only Krato can call you that, right? He hates it when I call him Kratty, too. Hey, do you want your cape back? -giggles-

**Yuan: **WHAT? YOU'RE THE ONE WITH MY STUFF?

**Princess: **Well, I own your cape, but Eternum123 has your armor and weapon. We made a deal. Hahahahahaha! ON WITH THE STORY! No! The cape is mine! -flees from angry half-elf-

_He has got to have something extra in here! Wait, here's a nice shirt. It's blue, too. _"Kratty, can I wear this?" _It's better than nothing, I suppose. _The top I am holding up is a sky blue color, covered with little drawings. _Are those angel feathers? It's so cute!_

"Yes, but be careful with it. It belonged to an. . . old friend." Kratos picks up his pack from where I tossed it and sits back down. "Hurry and change. We need to join the others."

_Who owned this before him? The shirt is a bit too girly for anyone he knows. _As I put the soft garment on, I notice a name written on the collar. _'Anna'. It belonged to her. _I glance over at the quiet man. _Kratos has kept this all those years? I'll do my best to take care of it._

When the two of us got back to camp, the rest of the group was ready to go. _I think our next destination is Ossa Trail, right? Freaky ninjas, here we come!_

"There you guys are! We were wondering what was taking so- Tilly, what are you wearing?"

"Your **dog **ripped my only tunic in half!" I glare at Lloyd. "You owe me a new shirt."

"W-what? No way! It's your own fault if Noishe ruined it." He takes the ripped garment out of my hands and takes a closer look at it. "If you wait a few days, I can fix it."

"Really?" _I knew Lloyd could do some carving and stuff, but sewing? _"Thanks, Lloyd!" Before the boy could react, I was hugging him tightly. _I'm very picky about my clothes._

"Gah! Don't hug me! GET OFF!"

"Ouch. . ."_ You don't need to shove me that hard! I'm quite sensitive, you know. _"That hur- OW! My head!" Raine slapped both of us on the head.

"That's enough, you two. We need to get to Ossa Trail before nightfall. Now, come on!" _She would be charged with child abuse in my world. That woman can really_ _cause some pain. _I rub the stinging spot on top of my head. _Oooooh. . ._

**.oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo.**

"Are we there yet?"

"The entrance is just up ahead, Tilly. We can rest there." Genis shifts the pack he was carrying to the other shoulder. "It's pretty creepy."

'What's creepy? Your sister's obsession with ruins?"

"Well, yeah, but that was not what I was talking about. You and Lloyd are quite alike."

"Hey! I'm not dense like him!" Genis turns away, but not before I see him smirking. _You are such a brat, sometimes. I am NOT stupid. I'll just talk to someone else then. How about Raine? _"Professor, how come you know so much?" The two boys next to me flinch.

"I just have the will to learn and study history, UNLIKE some people." Just a flinch from Lloyd this time.

"Did you ever go to school?" _I think this was explained in a Z-Skit at some point in the game. . ._

"No, I taught myself."

"Really? That's amazing. I wish I had the will to learn." _Yeah. I can do great in school, but only when I want to. _

"I'd be glad to tutor you along with the others." _Whoa, I didn't mean that! _"I will include you and your brother next lesson." _Damn. . . What have I done? _

When she turns her attention away from me, I feel Orkion punch me in the shoulder. "Great. Why did you have to go and do that? I like to learn, but the Professor is too much." _Yes, why did I do that? _

There were a few monsters just inside the trail, but we took care of them quickly. I spotted the bright red handle in the grass. _Ah, there's the vent. Where are the ninjas? _

"Stop!" A women wearing a strange purple outfit jumped down from the cliff, followed by a boy in a similar outfit, only dark red instead. _He's the one from my dream! That must be Steven!_

I tuned out at what the others were saying. I was too busy making eye contact with the male ninja. _Why does he seem so. . . familiar? _All Steven does is stare back, with amusement in his eyes.

". . . Is the Chosen of Mana among you?"

"Oh, that'sme." _A smart person would not answer a complete stranger, Colette! _

". . . Prepare to die!" The woman and Steven charge straight at her before any of us can move. The Chosen trips and knocks over the red lever, sending both of the attackers down the hole . _Thank goodness for Colette's clumsin- _"Ahhhhhhhh!"

When the ninjas fell, Steven grabbed for the nearest thing to hold on to. . . which was, unfortunately, me. I fall into the darkness along with them. _This was NOT supposed to happen! _

**.oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo.**

_Ow. . . my head. Where did I land? The ground doesn't feel so hard. . . What? Oh, crap! That means I landed on-_

"Get off of me, elf. It's hard to breath with you like that." I jump off of Sheena, relieved. _That's better than being on the boy, at least. I just need to get out of here now. _I glance beside me. The other ninja seemed to be unconcious. _Good._

While she tends to Steven, I quietly sneak away towards the entrance of the mine. _I'm going to be sore for days. Why did he have to pull me down with them? _I wander through the dark tunnels. _Where is the damn entrance? _My hands finally meet old wood instead of hard stone. I shove it open with much difficulty.

"Tilly! There you are! Are you okay?"

I smile at the frantic blond. "I'm fine. The girl cushioned my fall."

". . . W. . . wait!" _Crud, Sheena and the boy followed me already._ _Here comes a big battle!_

". . .Wow, they caught up with us." _Of course, Lloydie. It's a part of the storyline, after all._

"Oh, thank goodness!" Colette takes a step forward while smiling at the confused duo.

"D. . . don't move! We won't be caught off guard this time! Prepare to die!" Sheena takes out her cards and Steven cracks his knuckles. _Here they come! _I draw my blade and prepare to fight.

**A/N: **I finally finished it! YEAH! -dances around like nuts- It took me eight days, but here it is! (This would have been WAY longer, but my aunt is threatening to kill me if I don't get off the computer. )

**Yuan: **GIVE ME BACK MY ITEMS!

**Princess: **Oops, forgot about you. I'll give them back, on one condition. Come here. -whispers in his ear-

**Yuan: **WHY SHOULD- Really? You would do that? With that outfit?

**Princess: **-nods- Yes. Just be a good little half-elf.

**Yuan: **PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! If you want me to be very happy, leave a nice review. -to Princess- When?

**Princess: **Next chapter! REVIEW! REVIEW! **REVIEW! **


	15. When Strange Ninjas Attack!

**A/N: **I am so **SORRY **for the late update! I've been getting used to high school. I don't usually have that much free time after it... I still can't believe it took about two months to write this...

I am such a freaking procrastinator, aren't I? (It's not so much I _couldn't _write this, it's that I had no _will _to do so.) I would bring up the document, check the character profiles I made, and just **stare** at the screen. I could write nothing but a few sentences a day. **SORRY! **(Again)

I will no longer show replies here, unless they are not signed. I noticed that the replies were just about longer than the story. Don't worry; I'll still reply by e-mail!

**ryutamer: _-_**_raises eyebrow-_ Didn't feel like signing in, huh? Your character is finally here! YOU CAN STOP PRESSURING ME NOW!

**Bob Sexy ():** You can't even tell me the reason you're flaming?

**Eviee John-Jacobs: **_-too busy laughing in the background-_ **Hahahahahaha!**

**moon eclipse shadows: **This is for that wonderful message you sent me. Thank you so much! Those reviews did make me feel bad for a while. I've also lost one of my friends, ryutamer, recently. I can only talk to him online. Here's the update!

**DISCLAIMER: **_-blushes-_ Uhh... Since I took so long in writing this **chapter**, Yuan and Kratos got away. I'll do it this time. I, PrincessKaina2, do not own Tales of Symphonia in any way. I'm just a poor freshman who owns Tilly, Orkion, Steven, and two Wolf's Rain OST. Lona belongs to ShadowChocobo.

I absolutely LOVE high school! It's much better than middle, in my opinion. Everyone is so friendly and my classes rock. If you want to know about my life and what I'm doing, just read my Live Journal. Here's the link:

http/ princesstilly2 . livejournal . com

(Minus the spaces)

-_cough-comment-please-cough_-

On a random note, this fic has over 2,200 hits! YEAH! Why can't those people review? -_glares at them_- Can't they at least tell me if they even liked my story? Sheesh.

ON WITH THE STORY!

_This chapter is dedicated to **moon eclipse shadows**, for her wonderful and encouraging message to me. Thank you!_

**PRINCESS-PRINCESS-PRINCESS-PRINCESS-PRINCESS-PRINCESS-KAINA2---**

* * *

_Damn, they're so fast! I can hardly hit them! _I block the giant Guardian's attack with my blade and slash back at it. _I need some help, people! _I quickly glance over my shoulder. 

_Lloyd and Kratos are keeping Sheena busy and my brother is helping me. Wait... Where's Steven, then? _"Augh! My shoulder!" _No, Orkion!_

"Bro, are you okay?" I cast a weak First Aid on the small wound. "Is that better?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Tilly." He jumps back to his feet. "Look out! It's right behi-" _What? _"Star Arrow!"

The creature behind me gives a strangled howl. "Thanks, little brother. Come on, let's get it!" _Yes, before it ends up killing either of us. I'd really prefer to live, thank you very much. _I notice a flash of red out of the corner of my eye. _Aha! I found you, Steven! _

"Hey, come back here, you bastard!"

The boy appears out of nowhere in a puff of smoke. "Bastard? What did I do to earn that name, girly?" **(1)** _GIRLY?_

"Who the hell are you calling "girly"? I point my thin sword at him. "Enough of this banter! Let's fight!"

"That's the spirit, elf. Show me your real power!" Steven jumps back and prepares his own weapons. _Wait a minute... are those needles? _He just smiled at my confused look. In his hands several silver-colored needles. _Those look like they could cause some pain._

"You fight with needles? Don't you have something better, like a sword?" _That's it, Tilly. Talk tough. It will hide the fact that you're afraid of needles. Very afraid._

"What's wrong? You afraid I'm going to beat you?"

"N-no! You're just-" He throws a few of them, which I block easily. _He better not be playing with me, the jerk. _

"Haha! You can't beat me!"

I run towards Steven and slash, only to hit thin air. "What the hell? Come out and face me!" He starts to laugh somewhere behind me.

"Fine then. Take this! Demon Punch!" _He knows tech, too? _

My sword cuts off the attack and I try to hit him again. "Shadow Break!" It only catches the sleeve of Steven's outfit. _Damn it! Stop moving so I can hit you! _Three needles pierce through my armor mail, causing me to wince in pain. "Damn it..." I repeat quietly out loud.

More needles are thrown towards me, but I block them again with my blade. "Growing tired already, huh?" _He is so arrogant._

Without replying, I run with all my speed at the boy. "Star Shine!" It catches him offguard and cuts off part of his shoulder armor and sleeve, but drew little blood.

"Heh. That was a lucky hit." _Lucky? You weren't even paying attention at the time! If he keeps bragging like this, I'll probably be able to knock him out pretty soon. I need to distract him._

While Steven checks his cut, I take a quick look around the clearing. _Oh, so that's where Orkion went. He had to help the swordsmen take out Sheena. Such a loving sibling. _A shiny object grabs my attention. _I wonder what that is?_

"Omni Kick!"

I block as he kicks several times at my sword. The attack has little power, though, and Steven falls to the ground when I shove him away. _Now to get that item!_ When I pick the thing up, it begins to glow slightly. _What the-? It's a Red Quartz! I can use this._

The stone disappears as I touch it to my weapon. I didn't notice that the sword seemed to totally absorb it, instead of just getting some power. _I hope this helps. _It started to faintly glow red.

"What's that?" He laughs as he observes my red sword. "It just changed colors. Wow." _You don't know much about magical items, do you? It now has the added element of fire. _

I smirk and point the newly changed weapon at the ninja. "It now has the power of fire, loon. Don't you know anything?" His pissed look only makes me smile wider. "Demon Fang!"

Instead of being white, the streak was now blood red. _It didn't do this in the game. I'll ask Kratos about this later._

Steven hesitated a moment too long before dodging. The attack cut into his leg. "Ah!" _Where are Raine and Colette? Did they disappear or what? _Not giving him time to react, I strike again. "Shadow Break!"

"Damn it! Aegis Armor!" A shield of silver light surrounds him, abruptly cutting off my tech and throwing me back on the ground. _I should have known he has a guard skill, too. _An idea comes into my mind as the the armor slowly disappears. _He's vulnerable while it does this. I could cast a spell and take Steven out! I need to have him do it again._

"Scared to get hurt? Sword Rain!"

"Why you-! Aegis Armor!" _Yeah! He just fell into my trap!_

"I call to thee in Heaven! Give me your power to vanquish this sinner! Heaven's Breath!" The red ninja looks up just as the spell begins to whirl around. _I really hope this works. _

"What is th- Arrrggghhh!" _Uh oh. On second thought, maybe this was too much. _The beautiful feathers twirling around turn deadly and slice at Steven. He ducks to protect himself. _The feathers are just cutting him on the outside, not stabbing. _

A frown comes onto my face at that thought. _Wait, why am I caring about him? He's just a really cute- CUTE? Damn hormones-_ A large thump startles me out of my mental argument. Steven is just laying on the ground. _He's not moving!_

Sheena dashes over to the still form before I can reach it. "Steven! Are you okay?" She shakes him roughly and looks back at the group. "Ugh... Just you wait! I swear we'll kill you all next time!" The purple assassin gingerly picks up her companion and disappears in a haze of smoke.

"Wait!" _Oh, I forget about the rest of my party. _I glance at the rest of them. _Lloyd only has a few cuts and Kratos looks fine, if just a bit exhausted. Genis doesn't look so good though. _"Genis, are you okay?" The smaller boy tries to stand as I approach, but fails miserably.

"Not r-really... I think I sprained my ankle pretty bad. Can you pass me some Apple Gels?"

I give my last few to him. "I'll go and get Raine, so hold on a moment, okay?" _Where are the other women? We need Raine's healing unless Kratos suddenly becomes a medical genius. _

"Genis!" The professor comes running out of the woods with Colette not far behind. "Genis, you're hurt!" _I think I'll leave them alone and go give Lloydie some company._

"Oy, chocolate-head, are you feeling okay?"

The teen's answer from where he is sitting is just to glare at me. _I just love getting him all riled up._ "Don't call me that. I'm just fine. You?"

"Just a few scratches, really." I sit down beside him and grab a gel from my pack. Just as I thought Lloyd was done talking, he starts breaks the silence.

"Why are people trying to kill us?"

_I am so going to steal Kratty's line. _"... There are always those who reject salvation." _Hahahaha!_

"But that doesn't make sense. Salvation is supposed to help and-" Kratos himself interupts our conversation.

"Who knows? At any rate, we are in constant danger. That's all we have to know." He motions for us to get ready leave. _Hey, do I cause disruptions when you talk?... Wait, I do. Nevermind._

* * *

"Those clothes..." 

I turn to the silver-haired woman walking beside me. "What's wrong, Professor?"

"The clothes those assassins were wearing seemed familar." Raine runs a hand through her hair as she thinks. _This part always confused me when I played the game. I know now that it's because she is from Tethe'alla, when I got farther into it. I'm not supposed to know that, though._

"Is it because of Lloyd? His outfit is as weird as that woman's." _If that blockhead heard me, he would-_ "Whoa!" I cry out when someone pushes me to the ground.

"What do you mean 'weird', Tilly?" _Crap, he DID hear me!_

"I just mean that it's different from anything else I've seen." I can't resist the urge to giggle at his now happy expression. _That was an insult, idiot._

I hear the Professor sigh loudly behind us. "Lloyd, that wasn't a compliment. She just insulted you." _Uhh... I think I should run now. I've made Lloydie mad._

My running from the unhappy brunette makes my ever silent teacher scowl. "Slow down, you two! There could be more enemies about."

The response I give is to just jump up on Kratos's shoulders to escape from his crazy son. "I'll stop running around if Lloyd will stop chasing me!" _Sheesh. I make a comment about his clothes and it makes Lloyd pissed._

"Lloyd, stop bothering my student."

"But she called my outfit weird!"

"Lloyd-"

_Have they not noticed I'm still sitting on Kratty's shoulders? This is pretty fun with him carrying me. _The spiky red hair in front of me catches my attention. _I wonder what it feels like?_

The dark auburn hair actually feels quite soft inder my touch. _It's not deadly spiky after all. _The discovery is short-lived when I'm once again down in the dirt on my ass. _He just threw me off!_

"It took you guys long enough to notice me there!" _Aw, I wanted to keep touch his soft hair some more. Wait, that sounds so WRONG!_

"You can rest when we get to Izoold, Tilly." The purple mercenary helps stand back up. "We must get there first."

"... Fine, your highness." _I need to get some new pajamas before I can sleep, anyways. I'm not sleeping in Raine's "ruin" ones anymore..._

* * *

"Are we there YET? Orkion is getting sleepy." _I'm not carrying him._

"I am not! I'm just a bit tired, that's-" My dear brother trips and I catch him just in time.

"Not sleepy, huh? Here..." I kneel down and heave Orkion onto my shoulders, piggyback-style. _I'll carry him just until the town is in sight._

He falls asleep almost immediately, laying peacefully on my back. _We better get there soon..._

* * *

**PRINCESS-PRINCESS-PRINCESS-PRINCESS-PRINCESS-PRINCESS-KAINA2**

**A/N:** I am so happy that I got this chapter done. I hope the length will make up for the extreme lateness. You know, I wrote the last 1,000 words last night and just after school.

You know, my BIRTHDAY was a while back, on September 7th. I finally turned 15! _-jumps for joy-_ To see if anyone reads the notes, put **"Happy Really Late Birthday, Tilly!"**, okay?

Hmm, that's another thing I'm going to have to fit in the story. I have to have a birthday (party and presents included) for Tilly. An idea for the next chapter, maybe?

I have another reason for happiness. I passed my permit test this past Friday! I CAN DRIVE!

I have a poll for you faithful readers.

**What should the name of Tilly's sword be?**

**1) **Firanza (I made this up)

**2) **Branddamm (Fire Seal in German)

**3) **Coeur de Flamme (Flame Heart in French)

**Notes: (1) **I just finished reading this one book, and the guy in the book called the main girl "girly" and "fooly girly", "silly girly", etc. That's all I could think of, Ryu!

**Princess: **I can't believe how busy I've been this past few months.

**Yuan: **Excuse me? You just played video games the last few weeks, woman!

**Princess: **You guys are back! That's fantast- What did you say?

**Yuan: **I can understand why you couldn't write the first three weeks, but the last few are unexcused. You have been GLUED to the T.V. just about the **WHOLE DAMN TIME!**

**Princess: **_-blushes-_ It's not my fault Vyse is so cute... I also had to play those games I got for my birthday! Speaking of which, did YOU get me anything? Hmm?

**Yuan: **Uhh... _-looks around-_ I got you... Kratos! Yeah... But only for a week...

**Princess: **YOU DID? He is mine! Hahahahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!

**Yuan: **Oh Goddess, what have I done?. _-sigh-_ **READ AND REVIEW!**


	16. Civilization at last! Izoold Part 1

**A/N: **Here is the next chapter, everyone. At least this one only took about a month to write instead of two...

**DISCLAIMER: **I, PrincessKaina2, do not own Tales of Symphonia in any way, shape, or form. I'm only a poor freshman who owns Tilly, Orkion, Steven, their pasts, and the new "Evanescence" C.D. Lona belongs to ShadowChocobo.

I actually wrote most of this chapter on paper during my free time at school. The only problem was that several pages by hand was not very much when typed...

Here are the votes total so far:

**Firanza: 2**

**Branddamm: 2**

**Coeur de Flamme: 3**

_Only one vote per reviewer. I keep the review alerts, so I'll know if someone votes twice._

I'll let you guys continue to vote in your reviews only for one more chapter. I'll name the sword in chapter 17. The reason for the naming shall be revealed during this update.

Thanks for the great reviews: **Eternum123**, **Gantz Gun**, **AnimeCrazy88**,** DarthVader21**,** moon eclipse shadows**, **darkness created by sorrow and pain**, and **Shadow Shamira**.

I'm so sorry if I didn't reply to your review. The site has been acting weird for me lately and would not even let me edit the chapter for a while. **SORRY!**

Oh, and another thing. If any of you go to post in my forum, please, I repeat, please do NOT add anymore OCs. The ones that are there are fine, but I don't think I can keep everything in order with more of them. I'm trying my best to insert my own OCs as it is... I have Lona, Lane, Mikey, and Blaine, okay?

I just hate not posting that often. I tend to forget some of the plot. I had to read through the earlier chapters to see if I was writing the correct stuff...

I'm going to have the calendar in the story just like it really is, with July, August, etc. I have no idea what the real one is in the game, so it's just easier to do it this way. Sorry if this upsets anyone.

I'm sorry of the chapter gets a little... weird near the end. I wrote that part around 10 p.m. and I was really, really dead tired. Forgive me.

ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

"For the love of Martel, are we there yet? I'm getting tired of carrying Orkion..." I manage to say as we get closer to Izoold. "Ugh..." _How can a twelve-year-old be so freaking heavy? He's got to stop eating so much sugar. Though where Orkion gets it in the middle of a forest is beyond me. _

"If you're little brother is too heavy, I could carry him for you..." Lloyd gently nudges my arm as he says this.

"Really?" _Finally, someone takes pity on the exhausted girl! _"Thank you so much, Lloyd!" I slowly transfer my brother from my back to the older teen's awaiting arms.

"Y-you're welcome." _Is it just me, or did I hear a stutter?_

Now free of the heavy burden called Orkion, I jog ahead to walk next to Kratos. "Hey, I found something interesting during the battle with the ninjas."

The purple mercenary glances down at me. "What did you find, Tia?" He replies quietly. _I hate it when he calls me that! It's Tilly! T-I-L-L-Y!_

I glare at my teacher before continuing. "It was a Fire Quartz. You know, the stones from the Fire Seal? My sword absorbed it, though." _That sounds really weird, now that I think about it._

"Give me the sword." _That's all you are going to say? Sheesh._

Kratos totally ignores me when I pass him my now unsheathed blade. _Can you at least tell me WHY it did that?... HEY! "_Are you going to keep ignoring me, or do I have to annoy you?"

No response.

"I know! I'll think of new nicknames for you. Kratty, Kratt-man, Krattykins, K-kun..." My sudden giggling finally seems to snap him out of his deep concentration. _I knew that last one would do it. I just hope Kratos doesn't kill me now._

"Now tell me... How exactly did this happen?" He says, choosing to ignore my previous statement once again. _Always getting to the point, huh?_

"Well, I was in the middle of attacking the male ninja when I saw th shiny-" An auburn eyebrow goes up at the word 'shiny', but I continue anyways. "-quartz lying on the ground nearby. When I picked it up, my sword just seemed to absorb its power." I point to the strange red glow surrounding the metal.

"Doesn't that mean it is now a fire elemental weapon? What in the world happened?" _Will you please explain to me NOW?_

"This blade is actually very old. I gave you a vague history on it when you first recieved this weapon."

"Oh, I remember. You gave this to me on my twelfth birthday." My fingers lightly caress its smooth surface. "All I really know is that my sword is made from an unknown metal and you just happened to 'find' it in a nearby forest"_ Yeah, right._

"It used to belong to an old friend of mine. I had no use for a second sword, so I decided to give it to you, Tilly." _An old friend? I swear, if it's Yggy's..._

"That's more like it. Kratos, you don't just find powerful weapons in the middle of nowwhere."

"Well-"

"Don't give the 'You were only twelve' crap. Just tell me about the last owner." I snap. _Ah, the look on his face is priceless._

"Hmmph." Kratos turns the glowing blade over. "Do you see these strange letters? The name is engraved in Angelic. Read it to me."

_Read them? How in the world am I supposed to read that? _The unusually shaped name seems to shimmer before my very eyes. A few seconds later, it appears to be in English. _Whoa. I can read Angelic, too! That is so freaking aweso- Oh my..._

M-A-R-T-E-L.

_This is so not happening. _"Martel? Who was she?" _I have to pretend I don't know who this woman is. Or the fact that Kratos is an angel._

The older swordsman hesitates before speaking. "Martel was... a very dear friend. She was my travel companion many years ago." _More like thousands, old man. _"She mainly used a staff for healing and magic, but also kept a blade for emergencies. When Martel died, I kept it to always remember her by." Kratos' eyes have a faraway look in them by the time he finishes talking.

"Oh..." _I cannot believe I have Martel's old sword. _"Did she ever name it?" I quietly ask.

"Martel always called it the 'Seraphim'. The sword can change elements by certain magical objects, such as the Quartz. It's first and main element is fire, actually. You may call the weapon by a different name, if you wish."

_I can? Cool! Now what shall the name be? _I silently think about my choices as Izoold looms ever closer.

* * *

"We're here! Finally, we are out of that damn forest- Oof!" _Ow! Where did that big rock come from?_

"Tilly, are you okay?" Colette helps me stand back up. _Damn rock..._

"I'm just fine. I am just really tired from all that walking." I brush the dirt off my pants. "Hey, isn't that a big furry dog?" Sure enough, there is a dog lying underneath one of the fishing nets.

"Oh, another poochie! Here doggy, doggy!" She leaves me to go over to the cute animal. _All I need to do now is get to that cozy inn._

"Tilly, can you go with Kratos and get us some rooms? Here's the money." Professor Raine says as she gives me some Gald. "I'll try and get Colette." _Good luck with that, Professor._

I catch up with the purple mercenary just as he enters the small inn. _You know, I don't even know what the date is here. Is is the same as on Earth? _"All this battling has my internal calendar in ruins. What's the date, Kratty?"

"September 6th." _What? That means-_

"That means my birthday is tomorrow! I can't believe I lost track of time with it that close!" I frantically jump up and down before glaring at Kratos. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"You never asked."

"But it's my 15th birthday! I won't be a little kid anymore."

"Really? I though you were turning ten, Tia."

"... I hate you." I shove the money into his hands. "Go get us some rooms. I'll be next to that bookcase over there." _Stupid, stupid Kratos! _

I glance at the nearby books. _This place is a lot bigger than I remember. I thought it was just a room with a few beds. This place has at least a couple of rooms._ _Oooh, I like the title of that book! _The book I grab from the shelf is titled 'Why Are All Men So Dense?'.

I manage to get through the first twelve pages before I feel a hand on my shoulder. "Tilly, we have our rooms. Come on." Kratos frowns at the title of the book. "You will be sharing with Colette and Raine. Lloyd, Genis, Orkion, and I shall be in the room to the right." He says before heading outside to get the other boys.

_Good. I can actually have some girl-to-girl quality time with Colette. _I stop by the owner before bed. "M'am, could I borrow this book tonight?" I ask the rather large woman.

She nods. "You sure can. I just need your name and the author of the book, miss." She reaches under the desk for a piece of paper. "Name?"

"Tilly Avera."

"Author of the book?"

"Umm..." I check the cover of the novel. "Cyntelliea Marie."

"Thank you. By the way, that's a wonderful book. Be sure to get some sleep intead of reading all night long." The woman laughs and puts the sheet away. "Goodnight, hon."

"Goodnight, m'am." _Maybe I can get some reading in before the others go to sleep..._ The Professor and the Chosen one are already in the room when I arrive.

"There you are, Tilly! I was wondering where you were." Colette happily exclaims while brushing her hair.

"Hmm? Oh, I was just borrowing a book from the owner, that's all." I pass the book to her. "It makes so much sense to me right now." _It definitely does. Stupid Kratos..._

"Umm... Before you go to bed, could you help me with my hair? It got really tangled today and I can't seem to get the knots out..."

"Sure. What are friends for?" I take the bright pink hairbrush from the older teen's hands and start to brush the long golden strands. _Man, why can't I have hair as beautiful as this? _

"I see that you are still wearing that pretty borrowed shirt. Hasn't Lloyd fixed your tunic yet, Tilly?" _Huh? Oh, yeah. I still have on Anna's top._

"I completely forgot about that. I talk to him about in the morning." I look closer at the soft fabric. "It doesn't really match the rest of the outfit, does it?" The two of us giggle for a moment.

"Your brother told me your birthday is tomorrow. How old are you going to be?"

"15."

"Wow, really? That means you're just a year younger than me!"

"What, do I look that young? I'm never going to pick up guys if I eternally look twelve!" My remark sends us into another fit of giggles. _I wish I had a female friend as good as her in real life._

As soon as Colette's hair is tangle-free, I change into the horrid ruin pajamas and jump onto the bed next to hers. "Well, goodnight!" I hear two sleepy replies before I manage to fall asleep. _I hope tomorrow will be a great day..._

* * *

"Tilly?" _Leave me alone, Genis. I need my beauty sleep._

"Come on, wake up!" _Go away, damn it._

"Fine. I'm getting Lloyd." I hear small footsteps heading out of the room. _Yes, leave me. Need sleep..._

"She won't get up? Here, let me do it. Kratos told me how." _Huh? What do you mean, 'told you- _

"Ah!" The warm blankets are yanked away and before I can grab them back, Lloyd shoves me off the bed. "You are so dead, Lloyd Irving!" _LLOYD! _I try to hit the boy, but he manages to evade my punch.

"H-hey! It's your birthday! Can't you be reasonable?"

"I need sleep to BE reasonable! Come here!"

"Tilly! OW! Stop hitting me!" Before I can hit him upside the head again, Lloyd rushes out the door, with the smaller half-elf right behind him. _You don't mess with a girl who hasn't had enough sleep._

I fall back on the bed with a sigh. _That display probably did not help with my relationship with those two. _I gather my things together and start to get ready for the new day.

As soon as my outfit is perfect, I check the room for anything left behind and lock the door. _Okay. Now I just need to find everyone. _I look around near the inn, but there is no sign of the rest of the group. _Did they start to search for a boat without me?_

* * *

**A/N: **I finally finished chapter 16! And it only took about a month instead of two this time! Hahahaha! Yuan, come here! 

**Yuan: **... Yes?

**Princess: **I feel like cosplaying. Bring me my big trunk of costumes. Now, muse.

**Yuan: **-_drags in the heavy trunk- _Finally, you get to be humiliated instead of-

**Princess: **I didn't say _I _wanted to dress up. -_giggles_-

**Yuan: **What do you- Oh no. No! I am NOT cross-dressing!

**Princess: **But you looked so adorable in that Xelha one... I know! How about Milliarde? I just got Baten Kaitos Origins two weeks ago. With your girly body, it would be perfect! I also think Kratos would LOVE the short skirt.

**Yuan: **No, no, no, NO! Damn it, woman! -_flees the room-_

**Princess:** Hey! Come back here! -_sigh_- And I needed more pictures, too. READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE! Oh, and remember to vote if you haven't already!


	17. Izoold Part 2 and Meow?

**A/N:** **I AM SO SORRY!** My computer decided to die on Christmas Day. My aunt tried to turn it back on, but it wouldn't... There was a big problem with that. I hadn't uploaded Ch. 17 to my documents... Stupid, stupid Tilly! Oh, I am so sorry, everyone! The computer was fixed for about a day before another terrible event happened.

A big icestorm shut down most of my towns power. It lasted nearly a week. I was without my computer and video games for such a long time... School was canceled the whole time, though. I was going to post a while back, but no computer equals no Internet. **I AM SO SORRY! **_-sobs- _When I got back, the whole chapter was gone... I HAD TO REWRITE THE WHOLE FREAKING THING! **AAARRRRGGGHHHH!**

... That's just part of the reason this is so late. I got sick not too long back and I missed school for two weeks. It's taken me a long time to make it all up.

I also could not finish this chapter. I got to certain point and just had no more ideas. I finally did get some encouragement from a recent conversation.

My friend Steven (A.K.A. ryutamer) told me that he was going to write a story for this site and showed me his rough draft. He then hit me over the head with that same notebook and gave me some tips for my fic. If the story seems a bit different, blame him.

If I didn't respond to any reviews... Well, read the previous paragraphs. **I'm so sorry.**

**DISCLAIMER:** I, PrincessKaina2, do not own Tales of Symphonia in any way, shape, or form. I'm only a poor freshman who owns Tilly, Orkion, Steven, Sammy, their pasts, and a copy of the "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" (which totally rocks) video game.

Final Votes:

**Firanza:** 3

**Branddamm:** 3

**Coeur de Flamme:** 4

The sword shall be called Coeur de Flamme, or Flamme for short!

Thank you for the great reviews: **Gantz Gun, AnimeCrazy88, ariakitsune, DarthVader21, StarlightDemonFiresong, mooneclipseshadows, Eternum123, and SorenAurion... and anyone else I missed!**

**Princess: **I FINALLY UPDATED! Yuan, I feel so happy!

**Yuan: **_-glances up from the television- _Good for you. Now, go away so I can finish this movie. Go, Will!

**Princess: **Hey! That's no way to speak- WILL? What are you watching? _-shoves Yuan away from T.V.-_ Oooh... Will Turner...

**Yuan: **_-sighs- _Just great. Tilly, stop drooling all over the screen. This is why you didn't update for a few days, remember?

**Princess: **...Orlando Bloom... _-drools-_

**Yuan: **Since the authoress is in fangirl-mode, I shall say it. ON WITH THE STORY! _-attempts to drag Tilly away from T.V_.-Kratos, come help me!

* * *

_Where the hell are my companions? _I think angrily while heading towards the town docks. _I'm so mad I can't even see str- _"Ahh!" _Stupid... rock..._

"Are you okay, miss?" A rather large pink paw grasps my right hand and helps me stand up. _What did I trip over, anyways? ...Oh, well._

"I'm just fine. I have a tendency to trip over things." I quickly say to the person behind me. _I need to hang out with the guys more often. I'm becoming too much like Colette. _

"I'm really sorry about that! A large wave knocked down our stand a few days ago, and the loose rocks help hold it up, meow." _Huh? Meow?_

I lightly dust off my tunic and turn around to face the frantic Katz. _They are even more cute in reality. _"No, really. I am fine."

The young cat-girl sighs with relief. "That's good. Three other people have already tripped so far today." She slowly pushes the accusing stone back over next to the wall. "By the way, my name is Sammy. What's yours?" _Sammy? That is the name of one of my cats._

"I'm Tilly Avera." I respond and shake her furry paw. _I've never met someone with paws before._

Sammy grins widely. "It's nice to meet you, Tilly! I like to talk with other my age rather than adults. I'm only 16, though_." Whoa... She really likes to talk_.

"As of today, I am 15-years-old."

"Oh, it's your birthday? Congrats! Mine isn't until-" Sammy is interupted as a green and white blur tackles me to the ground.

"Whine!"

"Noishe?" I try to shove the hyper animal off my legs, but it proves futile_. He feels as heavy as a horse! What does Lloyd feed him_? "Get off of me!" I yell angrily at the loving animal.

"Aw, that's such an adorable... Um, dog? What exactly is he?" Sammy curiously asks.

"Get him off of me first!"

The Katz timidly tugs on one of Noishe's ears, causing the creature to start to lick her intead of me. _Do that again, Sammy! Maybe he'll move this time._

Finally, after the third ear tug, Noishe climbs off my now numb legs and calmy sits in front of Sammy. _Not fair! You've known me much longer, doggy._

"Hehe... that tickled!" She takes notice of my glare and quickly changes the subject. "Tilly, will you answer my question now?"

"I would if I could. I have no idea what Noishe is, really." _Actually I do, but I'm not supposed to know. _"My guess is that he's just a big wolf with a slight mutation problem." I say while receiving a big glare from the 'mutated wolf'._ That's what I actually thought he was at first._

Sammy giggles loudly. "Yeah, but he's far too cute for that!"

"Hey! You know, my theory could be true for all we know."

"It could be."

As Noishe gently pulls on my cloak, I suddenly remember the reason I was out here in the first place. "Sammy, I have to go now. I need to find the rest of my group." I tell my new friend sadly.

She seems to feel the same way. "Oh, you do?" Sammy glances around the small village. "I could help you find them first!" She happily announces before grabbing my arm.

"Let's go, Tilly!"

* * *

After nearly thirty minutes of searching, Sammy and I finally take a break near the ruined stand. 

"Ugh... We looked all over Izoold, but your friends are nowhere to be found, Tilly." She says, rubbing her scratched paws. "We even looked around in some of the boats."

"Yeah, but that only lasted until the bearded guy threw a prickly net at us."

"Oh, that thing really stung."

"Yeah..." I close my eyes and just sit there silently, thinking about our failed search_. Where in the world are they? If only Noishe was h- NOISHE!_

"I just realized something. We seem to have gotten seperated from our furry companion, Sammy_." Uh oh. Not good! Lloyd's going to kill me!_

No response.

"Sammy?"

Confused, I look at my partner only to see the bright pink Katz fidgeting nervously with her tail. _Huh? What now?_

"Um... When we looked behind the inn, I saw him go into the forest. It didn't seem important to tell you at the time." Sammy says quietly, not quite looking into my eyes. _WHAT?_

"You can't be serious! Sammy, he probably knows where my friends are!" I snap angrily at her.

"Sorry..."

My anger quickly diminishes at the sad look on the girl's face. "No, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." _Curse my explosive temper! _I smile at Sammy. "Come on! We might be able to catch up with him!" I say happily.

She returns the smile, looking relieved at my response. "Yeah!"

"Now... Where did you see them?"

"In that forest behind the inn, remember?"

* * *

"Arrrggghhh!" 

"Tilly! What's wrong?"

"I fell in another damn hole!"

Sammy quickly runs over to where I had fallen. "Again? I didn't know you were so clumsy." She replies, giggling.

I give the girl my most evil glare, but it only makes her giggle even more. "It's not funny! This is the fifth time its happened. HELP ME!" I yell up at Sammy. _Stop laughing!_

"But it's hilarious! Hahahahaha-"

"HELP M-"

"Sis? Is that you down there?" _Orkion?_

I gaze up angrily at the edge of the deep hole. "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN? YOU LEFT ME-" I start to yell at my brother. _You are in so much trouble, idiot!_

"Hey! It wasn't my idea to hide the gifts-" He stops suddenly and covers his mouth. _What did you just say?_

"...Gifts?"

"Um... Pretend you didn't hear th-"

"You mean the group went out just to hide the gifts? I could do without the treasure hunt this early in the morning!" I continue to yell at my younger brother.

"It wasn't my idea, Tilly! I tried to tell Lloyd that you don't like surprises."

"Lloyd?" I pause in the middle of my rant. "I'M GOING TO KILL THAT STUPID BOY!"

"I also told him that you would hurt him, too." He looks down at me. "Do you need help getting out?"

_Ugh... I'm still in this stupid hole. Lloyd's death will have to wait. _"Yeah. There's only one tiny problem though. Are you strong enough to lift me up with your bow, moron?" I point at his fragile weapon. "That thing would snap with my weight."

"I don't think you are that fat, though it is questionable."

"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!"

"H-hey! I'll go get the others. They should be able to help better than I can." Orkion replies and moves away from the edge of the hole. _Oh, Goddess... What have I gotten myself into?_

"Sammy? You still there?"

A furry pink body comes into my view above me. "I'm still here, Tilly. By the way, who was that just then?" She asks.

"My little brother, Orkion. We always travel together."

"Oh?" Sammy dusts some dirt off of her paw while she talks. "To pass the time, could you tell me about your companions? How did you meet"

_There's nothing else to do... _I nod. "Sure. It all began when my guardian Kratos told us to meet him in the village of Iselia..."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the page breaks. I'm just starting to realize I actually have a writing style for this story. XD **

**I apologize for the shortness of the chapter. I'm just glad I got it written, okay? **

Once again, I'm sorry that the chapter could not be put up until now. _-glares at computer- _I'm hoping it won't happen again.

On another note, I got some great presents for Christmas! My favorite one is my new iPod Nano. I have 243 songs total on- Where is it? WHERE?

**Yuan: **_-walks in-_Where's what?

**Princess: **My Nano! You know, that small pink object that I've been carrying around most of the day? _-glances at Yuan- _Do you know where it is?

**Yuan: **_-sweatdrops- _No...

**Princess: **Yuan, tell me. You are acting really suspicious_. -grabs his cape_- TELL. ME. NOW.

**Yuan**: H-hey! Let go of my cape, Tilly!

**Princess**_: -glares_- Grrr...

**Yuan**_: -cowers_- It's in my office! I was listening to it earlier while you were typing!

**Princess**: Smart choice. I'll be back later. Your password is "I-Hate-Tilly", right_? -leaves the room_-

**Yuan**_: -activates wrist communicator_- Botta, I need you change all my passwords, quickly! TILLY'S COMING!

PLEASE REVIEW! I NEED LOVE!


	18. Happy Birthday, Little Angel

**A/N: **I've still alive! ...Even though it may seem otherwise.

**DISCLAIMER: **I, PrincessKaina2, do not own _Tales of Symphonia_ in any way, shape, or form. Any songs that I use belong to their respectful owners. I just own my cute DS Lite, Tilly, Orkion, and Steven. Any other OCs, unless specified, belong to faithful reviewers.

So much has happened the last several months. I survived my freshman year, I got a PS2, made new friends... Where to start?

1) I was studying for my finals, so my aunt banned the computer for the month of March. _-sighs-_ I had so much e-mail. It took me so long to even find the reviews.

2) I failed two classes, so I had to take two LONG weeks of night school. _-sobs- _It was the first time I had failed anything at school. I was a bit depressed for a few weeks afterwards. If I write while I'm sad, characters would die. A lot. That would be bad... right?

3) My aunt FINALLY caved in and bought me a PS2! I played it straight for a while. Writing time flew right out the window. _-sweatdrops- _

This chapter has short song clips/lyrics between the page breaks. I felt like doing it. They'll be songs that fit the current situation... Usually.

I've added some new moderators and topics to my ASG forum! Go there! It's gotten pretty cool, I think.

I'm turning sixteen on September 7th, so **Tilly is going to turn 16 instead of 15 in the story.**

Thanks for reviewing: **GantzGun, AnimeCrazy88, mooneclipseshadows, Kitty-Katz-Katz, RachelLee, and Eternum123! **

**Yuan: **Oh, shut up already! I think they want the chapter, not your life story!

**Princess: **I don't think you should be talking, blue-man. You didn't even help me write it!

**Yuan: **Hey! I gave you ideas for-

**Princess: **You told me to keep those costumes away from you and then flipped me off! _-glares-_

**Yuan: **I-I did no such-

**Princess: **_-pulls out cellphone and dials- _Hello? Yes, is this Sephiroth? _-smirks-_

**Yuan: **_-pales- _Tilly! DON'T! _-flees-_

**Princess: **Oh, it's nice to hear from you, too, Sephy! Would you mind coming over next chapter? Hmm? Yeah, Yuan's acting up again. _-giggles- _Okay, see you soon! Love ya! _-closes phone- _Yuan... Where are you? Well, ON WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER! _-laughs evilly-_

* * *

"...Tilly?" 

"-We were almost killed by the strange Desians in the desert. Lloyd, he's the one in red, protected me from-"

"TILLY!"

**WHAM! **"Ow! What the hell?!"

Lloyd bent down to pick up the small book he had thrown at me. "You weren't paying attention. I called your name several times, Cyn."

I glare at the soon-to-be dead boy. "Sheesh. And so soon after I bruised myself getting out of that hole-" _Huh? _"-Did you just call me sin?"

He blinked in confusion. "No, I called you Cyn, as in your real name. Cyntela, right?" _Hmm? Cyntela?! ARRGGHH!_

"IT'S NOT THAT!" I yell and stomp my foot, causing Lloyd and Sammy to jerk back.

"W-what did I say?"

"My real name is Cyntelliea! C-Y-N-T-E-L-L-I-E-A. Get it right!" _I hate it when someone pronounces my name wrong. _

I yank hard on one of the long white ribbons attached to the brunette's outfit. "Who told you my real name?!" I whisper angrily.

"Ah! L-let go, Tilly!" Lloyd tries to pull his ribbon out of my hands. I hold my ground and just pull even harder.

"Irving..." He pales as he hears the warning tone in my voice. _I'm already in a bad mood. Don't make it worse._

A furry pink paw gently pries my hands apart. "Oh, stop acting so violent!" Sammy smiles happily at me. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" She says. _Oops. Totally forgot her in my Must-Kill-Lloyd rage. _

"Lloydie-" The boy frowns at the nickname. "-This is Sammy the Katz. I met her after you guys CRUELLY left me all alone this morning."

"It wasn't my fault! Kratos wandered off somewhere, Raine and Genis are trying to find a boat, Colette is chasing puppies, and I was went to find you." Lloyd looks around the small forest clearing we are in. "Uh... Where's your little brother? He said he was going to find you..."

I point in the direction of Izoold. "Well, he was here a moment ago. Orkion probably went off to find the others." I reply.

Lloyd sighs. _I know. I'm tired of running around in circles, too. _

"What does... Um, Kratos, look like? I might have seen him earlier." Sammy asks me quietly.

I think for a moment. "He's about twenty-eight-years-old, has spiky auburn hair-"

"Wears purple all the time." Lloyd tries to add in helpfully.

"...Yes." I pause to see if he says more, but the boy stays quiet. _Don't interupt me, please. _

"Kratos acts a bit cold, and would probably seem a little aloof to strangers." I continue. _A little? I meant a lot. The ol' bastard. _

"Is he a swordsman? I saw a man like that go into the town's tavern, next to the docks." She gestures towards the small brown building in the distance.

"The tavern?" _That's weird. Why would he go in there? _"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" I start to jog towards the town, but the Katz girl holds me back.

"Wait, Tilly! Weren't we looking for Noishe?" _Noishe? Oh, man..._

"Oopsie." I turn and lightly tug on Lloyd's ribbons again. "Hey, can you call your dog? We just can't seem to find him."

Lloyd frowns at my tugging. "You shouldn't worry about him so much. Noishe can take care of himself." He says and moves away from me. _No! I like annoying you, dwarf-boy._

"I don't know where he is either, so let's just leave him alone." The brunette continues. "Besides, he's probably near the tavern. Noishe likes to follow Kratos."

"Ah. I forgot that the doggy seems to like him for some reason..."_Don't ask me. I don't know anything about a certain four-thousand-year-old seraph- I KNOW NOTHING!_

Sammy interupts my guilty thoughts. "Well, why don't we go to the tavern now?" She smiles again. "I'm sure that your guardian will be happy to see you."

"Yeah!" Lloyd agrees. "The old man always seems happier with you nearby, Tilly." _Really...?_

_Hmm. I wonder... What if he knew I wasn't truly from here?_

_...Would that change anything?_

"Oh, and happy birthday, Tilly!" Lloyd suddenly says nervously. He starts to back away from me.

"YOU JUST REMEMBERED?!"

* * *

**"This time, this place**

**Misused, mistakes**

**Too long, too late**

**Who was I to make you wait**

**Just one chance**

**Just one breath**

**Just in case there's just one left"**

**("Far Away", Nickelback)**

* * *

"I'm not going in there, guys." 

I stare at the rather shabby-looking tavern. _I have the strangest feeling about this place..._

"Aw, come on, Tilly!" Lloyd grabs my hands and starts to drag me into the building.

"Hell no!" I protest and try to pull myself away, but the older boy was too strong. "There might be pervy old men in there!" _Don't you know anything about creepy places like this?!_

He pauses and gives me a look. "I'll protect you two girls from any danger, alright? It's just a tavern!" He says and rolls his eyes.

"Still..." I blush faintly, hoping Lloyd doesn't notice. _Curse my attraction for chivalrous guys. _

As the 'knight' leads the way into the old building, I follow silently behind Sammy.

"He's so nice to girls, isn't he?" Sammy giggles with a knowing look in her eyes. _Oh, great. She noticed my blush. _

"I don't have a crush on him!" I whisper quickly. "He just says some cool things sometimes." _I do NOT like Lloyd... I prefer guys with at least some intelligence. _

I walk ahead of Sammy, looking for my teacher. _If I was Kratty, where would I go? _I spot a auburn-haired shape in the dark far corner. _...In the shadows, of course._

I follow Lloyd towards the far table. Kratos sits there frowning, with a small book in front of him. _What's his problem? _

"Kratos, I brought Tilly. I found her out in the forest." Lloyd says to him.

"What were you-"

"Don't ask, okay? I was just looking for a certain green-and-white doggy." I interupt before Kratos can ask.

The mercenary raises and eyebrow, but says nothing. _Stupid adorable Noishe..._

"Hey, it's my birthday, you know. I'm finally sixteen and you guys left me alone." I say angrily and glare at my guardian.

"Lloyd and... the young Katz, would you please leave us? I wish to talk to Tilly alone." He says to the others, ignoring me. They both nod and head for the door.

I grab Sammy's hand as she passes me. "I'll introduce you to the group later, okay?" I whisper in her ear. She smiles and gives my hand a squeeze.

When they are gone, Kratos pockets the book and stands up.

"Tilly... Let's go to the docks."

* * *

**_"The walls start breathing_**

**_My mind's unweaving_**

**_Maybe it's best you leave me alone_**

**_A weight is lifted_**

**_On this evening_**

**_I give the final blow"_**

**_("It Ends Tonight", All-American Rejects)_**

**_

* * *

_**

I walk silently next to my teacher. _This is unusual. What does he want to talk about?_

Kratos stops when we reach a deserted part of the docks. He sits down and I sit down next to him.

"Well? What do you want to talk about, O Silent One?" I break the silence. _You're making me nervous. Just talk already!_

He says nothing.

"Did I do something wrong? If I did, it's all Orkion's fault! He-" I start to panic.

"Happy birthday, Tia."

"-Always blames me- Huh?" I stare in surprise at him. _Did you just say what I think you said?_

"I just wished you a happy birthday. Is that so hard to believe?" He smiles with an amused look in his eyes.

_For you? Hell yes! _"You don't usually show that much emotion..." I reply hesitantly. _Are you feeling alright? Lloyd didn't knock you senseless during training earlier, did he?_

Kratos just smirks at my response. He silently pulls out a wrapped gift out of his pack and tosses it into my lap. "Open it."

_Oooh! A present! _I rip off the paper, barely glancing at it's flowery design. _Whoa... _I stare in wonder at the object.

A small silver dagger rests delicately in my hands. It has an intricate design, with strange symbols covering it. A bright blue jewel shines from its smooth hilt. _It's beautiful..._

"I bought it from a talented dwarf not too long ago. I believe... Dirk was his name." He says quietly. _Dirk?_

"Lloyd's father?" I say with surprise. "I didn't know he was this good..." _This is so cool._

"Hmm..." Kratos watches me quietly as I examine the weapon. _The symbols look familiar._

"Oh! These words are in Angelic, aren't they?" The symbols blur for a moment before they become English words. _I wonder why it keeps doing that...? _"It says-" I hesitate, not believing my eyes. "-Beloved Daughter..."

"I didn't ask for that inscription." I can see a barely noticable blush on his face. "The dwarf just-"

I tackle my guardian with a crushing hug. "Aww! That's so sweet, Krat-man!" I sniffle softly. "THANK YOU!"

"Yes... Well... Get off."

"I don't want to!"

"Tilly!"

**THUMP! **"Oww... Krat-kun, you didn't have to shove me so hard!"

* * *

**_"Well, I'm going home_**

**_Back to the place I belong_**

**_And where your love has always been enough for me_**

**_I'm not running from_**

**_No, I think you got me all wrong_**

**_I don't regret this life I chose for me"_**

**_("Home", Daughtry)_**

* * *

**(Later that night, back at the Inn)**

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."

_Dear Goddess... Please strike me down now. _I groan silently in my head. My face is practically glowing from the massive I have. _This always makes me feel so embarrassed._

Orkion snickers at my reaction. "Just be happy, Sis! You're finally old enough to marry Llo-" I slap my hand over his mouth.

"Don't you dare finish that!" I whisper threateningly to my brother. _I am going to KILL you._

"Marry who?"

We both look over at Lloyd. I quickly shove Orkion away from me.

"No one said that, Lloydie-boy. Whatever are you talking about?" I ask him innocently. _Ah... That would have been a nightmare. Just pass me presents!_

As if reading my mind, Professor Raine points to a small pile of gifts in the middle of the table.

"Kratos told us that today was your birthday, so we all went out and bought you some presents. Turning sixteen is a very important turning point in a young gi-"

"Yes, well, open them, Tilly- OUCH!" Lloyd yelps loudly. "Professor!" _Thanks for the save there. No lectures, please._

I spot a vivid pink box first, covered with dancing puppies. _This has to be from Colette. _When I finally get the colorful paper off, I take out the most adorable item I had ever seen. _It's so cute! Must. Not. Squeal._

I hold the small puppy figurine carefully in my hands. It had small pink wings, just like Colette's, attached to its pure white back.

"It's a breed of dog from Asgard, so I thought you might like it..." She says nervously to me.

I smile brightly at her. "Colette, I absolutely love it. It's wonderful."

The young angel smiles cheerfully back at me. I set the figurine on the table.

I pick up another gift, this time and orange-colored one. _Orange? I have a feeling this is from Raine. _I think, glancing at the Professor's outfit.

I rip iff the paper just as quickly as I did the other ones. _It looks like a-_

"It's a book on the Study of the Asgard Ruins. Like Colette, I thought that since that is where you come from, you might enjoy it." Raine announces proudly.

I gulp and try to hide the horror on my face. _That's just like one of my history books back on Earth. What the hell do I tell her?!_

"Um..." I hesitate, trying to think of something to say. _I don't want to get slapped!_

"Professor! There's someone trying to steal the notes you left with the innkeeper!" Lloyd yells and points outside the window. "They're leaving the inn!"

"What?!" Raine gasps. She runs out of the room, leaving me with her terrible book.

"You do know that she's going to kill you, right?" I tell my 'savior'.

The boy shrugs. "She stopped talking at least." He then tosses me a small round box. "This one's from me."

I take a moment to actually look at the wrapping this time.

"Frogs?! What's with the ugly design? Eww... They look like they're about to die!"

"I-it was the only p-paper that had l-left!" He stutters indignantly. _I think I'll burn the paper afterwards..._

The gift makes up for its horrid wrapping, however. "Oh! I just love them, Lloydie!"

I hold the dark blue jewel earrings up to my eyes. _They look really delicate. _I promptly put them on.

"How do they look?"

Colette admires the glittering jewelry closely. "They're gorgeous! Lloyd's very talented, isn't he, Tilly?"

"T-the design was actually v-very simple." The brunette stutters gain and flushes deeply. _Haha! You're blushing again!_

I pat his arm comfortingly. "I love them, Lloyd." I say happily.

Lloyd suddenly stands up, still flushed a bright red. "I'm going to go find the Professor. Happy birthday, Tilly!" He rushes out of the room.

I hear my brother snickering again. "I don't think he could take all the compliments..." I whack his head hard. "Sis! That hurt!" He whines at me.

"So, what did you get for me, little bro? Worms in a box?" I ask sarcastically. _Most likely._

"No." He glares at me and tugs Genis next to him. "Genis and I decided to make you a gift together."

"Together?" _You have my attention, little boys._

"Yeah! It's right here." Genis slowly pulls out a short stick-like object from under the table. He passes it to me delicately. "We both payed for it at the market."

I eye the gift suspiciously. _I hope it doesn't blow up on me. _I tear the wrapping off in one quick tug. A light green stick falls into my hands. _This looks familiar for some reason._

"It's an Elven Cane. It helps those with elven blood 'speak' with nature." _It does what?_

"Tell me exactly what that means, Genis." I ask the silver-haired boy.

He looks at me in confusion. "But you guys are elves..." I sigh at his reply.

"Yes, we are pure-bloods, but we've been raised by Kratos the past six years. He's human, you know." I hear another sigh come from the corner of the room. _I completely forgot Kratty was still here. Oopsie._

"It can amplify the ability to feel the mana of living creatures, such as trees or animals. It takes a great deal of concentration to work, though." Genis calmly explains. _Oh. That's cool._

I spin the magical object between my fingers before putting it with my other gifts. As I glance through them again, the others say goodnight.

"Goodnight, Tilly! I'll tell Raine you liked her gift."

"'Night, Sis! See you in the morning!"

I wave goodbye to the boys. _I feel so strange now. _

Kratos also prepares to leave. "Tia, I'm going out for a little while. Will you be okay by yourself?" He asks quietly.

"What am I, six-years-old?! I'll be fine." I lay down with a sigh on my chosen bed. "I might just read a bit before bed. Go on."

When he finally leaves, I get up and sit next to the window. The moonlight shines down on my face. _I feel like I belong... _

The blood-red jewel in my hands starts the tingle slightly. It seems to swirl around in mystifying circles, before the designs stop. _What is this? Will I become an... angel? _

I lean my head against the cool window. A few tears slip down my face. _Who am I really? Tilly of Earth... or Tilly of Symphonia? Two different sets of memories... Two souls, one body..._

..._Who am I?!_

* * *

**_"I'm not dead just yet_**

**_I'm not dead, I'm just floating_**

**_Doesn't matter where I'm going_**

**_I'll find you"_**

**_("I'm Not Dead", Pink)_**

****

_

* * *

_

**A/N: **My hands... I sat at the computer typing this for three hours straight... Ooh! CRAMPS!

Anyways... _-looks around- _Yuan, where are you? Don't tell me you're afraid of little ol' Sephy...

**Yuan: **_-jumps out from behind Kaina's couch- _He is not little! He's over six feet tall! You're- _finally notices he blew his cover- _...Damn.

**Princess: **Muahahaha! _-continues to laugh evilly-_

**Yuan:** Oh, hell! READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE! _-flees the scene-_


	19. The Beautiful and Chaotic City

**A/N: **_-gasps- _I updated within a day of posting the last chapter! RUN! IT'S THE SIGN OF THE END OF THE WORLD! ...Or, just for my special guest, the sign of the Reunion. Sound familiar?

A very kind friend drew me a great picture! Go here: http://gantzgun74 . deviantart . com / art / Tilly-s-Birthday-Cake-63283194 (Delete the spaces!)

I have noticed a bad trend. This story has almost 5000 hits, yet only about 100 reviews. That means just about 1 review for every 50 readers. Oh, come on, people! You just need to say a few words! You could just put a smiley face! (I'd prefer a full sentence, though.) A SMILEY FACE!

Hmm... I don't have that much to say. I haven't done much the past day. I'm going to have a new kitten, though. It's twelve-weeks-old, grey and white, and I named her Yuki. My mom first thought it was Yucky. YOU-KEY!

She's named after the "Yuki" in _Fruit's Basket_, even though that character is a guy. He has greyish-purple hair, so it seemed to fit...

**Yuan: **Stop talking about your stupid cats and help me block the door. _-pushes couch in fromt of door- _Sheesh, this is heavy...

**Princess: **Number one, don't call my precious babies stupid, and number two, what the hell are you doing?! Sephiroth has to come through-

**Yuan: **Precisely. No evil one-winged angel is coming in here!

**Princess: **(Technically, aren't you evil?) _-mumbles to herself- _

**Yuan: **Hmm? What did you say?

**Princess: **_-sweatdrops- _Anyways, I don't think he's evil, just misunderstood. And really, really hot.

**Yuan: **_-stunned speechless-_

**Princess: **You haven't seen my newly updated profile, have you? He'll be here briefly after the chapter. _-smirks- _ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

_**"If someone said three years from now  
You'd be long gone  
I'd stand up and punch them out  
'Cause they're all wrong  
I know better  
Cause you said forever  
And ever  
Who knew?"**_

_**("Who Knew", Pink)  
**_

* * *

_"Tilly, Orkion, we'll be back soon!" A beautiful brunette elf says to her two young children. "Take care of your brother, Tilly!" She kisses her daughter on the forehead._

_"Yeah, Momma!" The nine-year-old giggles and hugs her mother tightly. "You and Daddy can trust me!" She says proudly._

_A dark-haired elven man chuckles next to the woman. "Blossom, I'm sure they'll be fine. They'll have Linar and Aisha to play with."_

_"Yes. I'm so glad their parents agreed to watch over Tia and Ori..." She grabs her pack and takes one last look at her little ones._

_"Bye, sweethearts! Tilly, remember to take care of your jewel!" The woman glances at the crystal in her daughter's hands. She looks sadly back at her husband._

_"Mark... Are you sure about this? I mean, she's just a child..."_

_"It will be safe with her. The Desians already know we took it. They still think we have the accursed crystal and will come after us." He replies quietly to her._

_"Yes... Bye, my precious ones. May the Goddess keep you safe..."_

**Three weeks later...**

_"I don't think think we should tell them... I mean, they're so young!" A middle-aged woman argues with her husband._

_"Well, then, what do we do? We can't watch over them forever! We already have Linar and Aisha. We-"_

_"Where are Momma and Daddy?" Tilly whispers quietly to the adults. "They said they would be back by now..." The little girl looks up worriedly at them._

_"Uh... You see-"_

_"They're gone, Tia." The man tells the child sadly. _

_"G-gone? What do you mean?" _

_"I mean... They are dead."_

_Her eyes widen. "D-dead? Gone f-forever?!" She starts to cry uncontrollably. "MOMMA! DADDY!" She runs out of the room._

_"W-wait! Come back, Tilly!"_

_The young elf runs outside, tears clouding her vision. "Orkion!" She spots her brother playing with the teenager, Linar._

_Tilly grabs him by the arm and drags him into the nearby forest. "Heya, Sis! Wha' wrong?" The little boy wipes the tears from his older sister's eyes. _

_"Ori... Our parents are gone... forever." She sobs into his shoulder, hugging him tightly. _

_"G-gone?" _

_"Yes. They were-" She starts to tell him._

_"**Growl**..." _

_They both jump to their feet, staring fearfully at the horrid brown wolf blocking their path. It snarls with wickedly sharp teeth and focuses its sickly yellow eyes on the children. Just as they start to run, it leaps._

_A silver blade comes from out of the dark forest and slices the monster's head right from its furry body. Blood pours from the horrible gash._

_A auburn-haired man steps out of the shadows, holding the bloody sword in his hands. He looks at the elven children with concern in his reddish-brown eyes._

_"Are you two alright?"_

* * *

_**"Through these eyes  
I've seen a thousand lies  
And it's taken years to realize  
That nothing stays the same  
And no one is to blame  
But I, I'd do it all again"**_

_**("Memories", Backstreet Boys)  
**_

* * *

"TILLY!" 

**SLAM!**

"AHHHH!" I wake up with a start." What the hell was that?!"

Kratos glares down at me. "It's time to get up, Tilly. We have to find a ship."

I blink sleepily at him, not quite understanding his words. "Say what? I jus' woke up..." _So... sleepy... Zzzzzz..._

"I said, we gave to find a ship to cross over to Palmacosta."

I finally realize exactly what he said. "A ship?!" I shriek. _No, no, no!_

The man sighs quietly and steps into the doorway of our room. "Yes. Don't cause trouble or you'll be stuck with Professor Raine during the trip." He warns me before he shuts the door and leaves me alone.

_Oh, hell. I'm afraid of the sea. _I slowly get out of the soft bed. _What do I do...? _As I start to get dressed, I think about the day before.

_It was pretty good for one of my birthdays. I got some cool gifts... Not including the book. _I shudder at the thought. _I really had fun with my new friends. _

When I finally appear outside the inn, the rest of the group was waiting for me. "I'm ready!"

"Wow... You managed to beat Lloyd at sleeping in again, Sis!" Orkion laughs loudly at my arrival.

"At least I get enough sleep to be better-looking than you." I counter back at him.

"H-hey!"

"That's enough, children. We need to figure out how we are going to get to Palamcosta." Raine interupts our bickering.

"Yes, Professor." We reply sullenly.

"Let's go see if we can get passage on a ship. I believe the docks were in that direction..."

* * *

_**"I'm searching for this place  
Where I don't need to worry  
about you  
Where I don't feel sorrow  
Don't need to think about tomorrow  
or about you**_ "

**_("Searching", Lasgo)_**

* * *

"Excuse me, are there any open passage ships nearby?" 

"There aren't any passenger ships running. It's too dangerous. I got here  
only by getting a ride on a boat from a guy named Aifread." The fisherman replies to the Professor's question.

"Is he still here?" Raine asks the man again.

"Aifread? No, he's not here anymore. He said he was going back to his hometown." He shakes his head. "You should go ask Lyla for passage. She lives in the house next to the in." He walks back to his small boat.

"Should we do what he said?" Genis asks his older sister.

"I believe it might be the only way to get across the sea. The fishermen might need some persuasion to let passengers aboard their ship." Raine replies wearily. _She looks freaked out about the trip already. My panic attack won't start until I'm actually about to get on the ship..._

We walk back into the main part of Izoold again and look for the house the man mentioned. "There it is!" I yell excitedly. I jog ahead and knock on the frail-looking door. Lloyd and Genis wait behind me. _I think I remember what Lyla looks like._

An old woman answers the door. "Yes? What is it?"

"Can we speak to Lyla, please?" I politely ask her.

She smiles softly and opens the door for the three of us. "Sure, young ones." As she leads us through the house, she yells for her granddaughter. "Lyla! You have some guests."

Lyla looks up from where she is sitting. "I do?" The young woman stands up and shakes our hands. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, a fisherman said that you could get some passage across the sea for us..." Lloyd explains our situation to her.

"I could've not too long ago, but since Aifread has disappeared-"

"If you're looking for Aifread, we heard he went back to his hometown." Genis interupts Lyla's sentence.

She gasps loudly. "...What did you say?! Is that true?!" She replies frantically to the small boy.

He steps back nervously from the demanding woman. "Ahh... Yeah. Isn't it, Lloyd?" I listen to the conversation with amusement.

"Yeah. So it seems, anyways..." Lloyd shrugs and edges closer to me. _Oh, come on. She's not that scary, guys._

"This is my chance!" Lyla suddenly yells and runs out the door. We quickly run after her.

"Kratos! We have to follow her! She said she'll help!" _...I think._

The mercenary raises an eyebrow, but follows the three of us anyways, along with the rest of our companions.

"What's the matter with you?! You're going to refuse my request? He's  
returned to his hometown of Luin!"

As we finally reach the dock, we hear Lyla arguing with a brunette sailor.

"It's not like that. There are giant monsters at sea now. It's dangerous,  
and I care about you too much to let you come aboard. That's all." Max calmly counters back at her.

"Fine. Then you go deliver the letter for me." Lyla tries to shove a small letter into his hands, but he refuses to take it.

"No! Why should I have to act as a go-between for my rival in love!" Max tells her and stomps his feet in frustration.

"Oh, please, stop whining! Fine!" The woman rolls her eyes and turns around, only to spot our group. "You there, excuse me."

"Us?" Colette looks around in confusion.

Lyla rolls her eyes again. "Do you see anyone else here? I'd like you to deliver this letter for me  
to Aifread in Luin." She demands wearily.

"We can't deliver it if we can't cross the ocean." Lloyd replies back to her.

"If you'll deliver it, I'll have Max take you on his boat."

"You can't be serious!" Max yells and looks at Lyla and Lloyd.

"Okay." Lloyd shakes her hand in agreement.

The woman smiles happily. "Then it's settled. All right, Max?" She asks the stunned sailor.

"I… I'm not going to do it."

"You're kidding me! Are you saying it's all right if my letter doesn't  
make it to Aifread?" Lyla growls angrily, a red flush emerging on her face.

"L… Lyla! No, I mean, it's not… I don't mean that…" Max stutters and quickly backs away from her.

"Then, what do you mean?! If you keep making a fuss about this, I'll just  
do this on my own!" She shrieks.

"…Okay, okay. I'll go, I'll go. Dammit…" The frustrated man curses at his misfortune.

"You should've just said that from the start." Lyla smirks in truimpth and approaches Lloyd. "Then, it's in your hands now. Make sure it gets to him." She gives the letter over to him and rushes out of the docks.

"She's really pushy…" The boy mutters to himself. _I change my mind. She's REALLY scary!_

Max glances at us from his ship. "…Let me know when you're ready to leave." He sighs and crosses his arms.

"Well... Are we ready, guys?" I ask the rest of my group.

Raine checks our bags for any missing items. "I believe we are..."

"Hey, sailor guy! We're ready!" I yell at our new captain.

"My name is Max, kid!" He stomps his feet again. "Okay, then, let's set sail. …Don't blame me if we run into any monsters."

The others climb into the ship, but the Professor and I hesitate before climbing in ourselves. _Oh, man... _

I sit down in the back of the ship, away from the sides. _As long as I don't see the water I'll be fine. Just keep telling yourself that, Tilly. _

"Now we can finally go to the next seal." Lloyd says and stands near the front of the vessel. Colette stands beside him.

"Yeah!" The young girl agrees with him.

The Professor stumbles back to where I am sitting and sits right down next to me. "I was afraid this journey would force me on a boat sooner or later…" She whispers to herself. _Don't worry, you are not alone._

Soon, the ship starts to move, bouncing slightly on the waves. _Oh, Goddess..._

"We're at sea! We're at sea!" Genis happily jumps up and down. Lloyd quickly grabs his shoulder.

"Settle down, this thing's tiny. Do you want to fall out?" He cautions his younger friend.

Max glares at the twin swordsman. "Gee, I'm so sorry my ship is too 'tiny' for you!" He yells at him, insulted.

Colette starts lose her balance before Lloyd can reply. "I'm gonna fall!"

"Colette! Be careful!"

_It wouldn't surprise me if she did fall off... _I think silently to myself as the ship sails across the sea to our destination.

* * *

**_Sailing over wave and tide oh ho ho  
Fantastic waves against our sides oh ho ho  
And I'm not so afraid  
Lost at sea, as I should be  
And I'm not so afraid  
Lost at sea, you and I, you and me_**

**_("Lost at Sea", Eisley)_**

* * *

"Sis... Wake up!" My brother shakes me hard. 

_Huh? _"Wha'? We're here already?" I ask him groggily, _Damn, that was fast._

"Yeah. You fell asleep not long after we left Izoold." He replies and walks to the edge of the ship. "The others are already talking with Max." He quickly leaps off the side, leaving me to climb down on my own.

"Thanks, Max. What are you going to do now?" I hear Lloyd ask the sailor.

"I'll request escort from a Palmacosta warship or something… Well, take care."

"Sorry for making you take us all the way out here. Be careful on your  
way back." The boy apologizes to Max.

"You, too." Max waves good-bye and wanders into the market, looking for assistance.

"Okay, Let's go look for clues about the next seal." Lloyd announces to us and leads the way into the large city of Palmacosta.

I follow behind the rest of the group, looking around in wonder at the beautiful buildings. _Wow... This place is a lot better than the other cities we've been in._

I nearly bump into Genis when he suddenly stops. "Hey! What's the prob-"

"…There she goes again." The small half-elf mutters to himself. I step around him just in time to see Colette and a stranger stand back up. _Oh. They just crashed into eachother._

"Owww! What did you do that for?!" A strangely dressed woman yells at Colette.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She tries to apologize, but it does not reach the angry woman.

"Ahh! The Palma Potion that we just received!" She shrieks in despair.

Her male companion moves in front of Colette. "Hey lady, that was a very valuable potion! How are you planning on making up for this?" He demands coldly.

"I'll buy a replacement potion right away." She nervously replies.

He just sneers at her response. "…Replacement potion?! Do you seriously think that's going to be enough to appease my anger?!" _That sounds really stupid. _

"Oh, come on, now you just sound like an idiot." Lloyd stands protectively in front of Colette. _See? Even our moron agrees with me._

"What-did-you-say?! Do you know who we are?!" The man snarls angrily at the insult.

"And I should care because?…"

"Why, you little…"

A young blond woman steps between them. "Stop. I'd like to leave here as soon as we can. Don't start any unnecessary trouble."

"I agree. Let's just have them replace the potion." The first woman agrees with her companion.

"Bah. You got off lucky this time, kid. Hurry up and go buy that potion." The spiky-haired man steps back and crosses his arms, waiting impatiently.

"There's no need to bother, Colette!" Lloyd tries to convince his friend.

"No, I ran into them, so I have to pay for it…"

He scowls at her. "…Fine, all right." He glances at the nearby buildings. "Now... Where do we buy that potion?"

I look around the street, finally noticing Marble's Shop not too far away. "Hey, that's looks promising!" I point towards the building.

_Wait. I don't want to have a chance at being captured, so I'll go alone. _"Why don't we split up? It will make the item searching go much faster." I suggest.

"Yes. Let's all meet back here, by the bridge, when we are done." The Professor gives her approval and we all go our separate ways.

I walk up to the door and pause on the doorstep. _I have to be careful. There will be two Desians in here. _I mentally brace myself and open the door.

"Oh, please! There's no way anyone would sell those to you at a price that low!"

As I enter, I notice a girl about the same age as me arguing with tow grouchy Desians.

"You should be thankful that we're even willing to spend money for goods from a rundown shack like this." The first soldier snarls back at her.

"I don't need to hear that from a bunch of filthy Desians! I'm not going to sell one single gel to the likes of you." She yells at him.

An older woman stands behind her, looking worried. "Chocolat, stop!"

"But Mom, these are the same monsters that took Grandma away!" Chocolat protests.

"You've got some nerve talking to us like that, little girl! You keep that up, and we can't guarantee what'll happen to you or this city." The man sneers hatefully.

"Just try it! As long as Governor-General Dorr is around, we'll never submit to the like of you!" The girl yells again at him.

"You little-"

The second Desian interupts his partner. "Stop! We'll exceed our quota for this year. We need  
permission from Lord Magnius to go any further." _Quota? That just sounds so wrong._

"Humph." The first soldier says nothing else.

"Depending on Lord Magnius' mood, you might or might not get to keep that pretty little head of yours!" The other Desian warns her. They turn around and move towards the door. _Uh-oh..._

I try to move out of the way quickly, but the closest Desian still manages to shove me towards the wall. "Hey, watch-" I bite my tongue just in time. The half-elf glares at me, but follows his companion out the door. _I have got to watch what I say. _

"Well then, I'm of to work now, Mom." Chocolat picks up a small sack from the counter and walks past me outside.

"Take care..." Her mother waves good-bye. As she moves behind the counter, her gaze lands on me. "Oh! I apologize for what happened. I'm sure you were startled. Please, relax  
and take a look around." _Startled? Yeah, I see Desians shopping in every store I go to._

"Do you happen to have some Palma Potion?" I ask her nicely.

Cacao nods and reaches beneath the tan counter. She pulls out a small green bottle, similiar to one I had seen broken on the ground. It had a light red liquid inside of it. "It costs 1000 gald, miss." _1000 gald?! That's a little pricey for such a small bottle, isn't it?_

I sigh, but get the money out anyways. She hands me the Palma Potion after I pay. "Thank you for shopping at Marble's Shop!" Cacao waves cheerfully as I leave the shop.

_I wonder if the others were successful in their search. _I wait silently by the bridge, waiting for my companions. I take a closer look at the bottle. _I don't think I could drink this... _I take the cap off and sniff the contents. I gag almost immediately_. Eww! It smells like rotten peaches_!

"Tilly! Did you get the potion?" Colette gently takes the bottle from my hands. "You did! Thank you!" She says joyfully.

The rest of the group catches up with us. The Chosen passes the Palma Potion to Lloyd. He then walks over to the imposters. "...Here."

"All right then. Looks like you're good little boys and girls after all. Just make sure you learn your lesson and don't mess with us again." The man smirks and grabs the bottle.

"What did you-" I start to say, but Kratos holds me back.

"Don't make a scene." He whispers in my ear. _Stupid fake idiots..._

"Yes. I'll be careful." Colette continues to talk to the imposters.

The woman dressed like a witch leads her companions towards the path out of the city.. "Come on, we're leaving!"

"I have to say, that Governor-General Dorr sure was trusting. It's hard to believe he just gave us his family treasure like that." I barely hear the other woman say to the witch.

A nervous-looking man behind them whispers quietly. "So what are we going to do with that, anyway?"

"You're an idiot. We don't have any use for that thing. We're just going to sell it to that geezer on Hakonesia Peak who collects old junk." The spiky-haired male whacks him.

We can no longer hear them as they walk out of site. _What a bunch of jerks._

"Hehe, sorry for getting us in trouble." Colette apologizes for the delay.

"…Those guys kinda piss me off." Lloyd says, glaring in the direction of the exit.

"Well!" I suddenly yell, causing the group to jump. "We should go see the mayor of this town, right?"_ I had to break the tense atmosphere._

"The people of this town have a Governor-General. His office is in the center of Palmacosta." Kratos explains to me.

"Mayor or Governor-General, it doesn't matter. They're both leaders." I say and shrug my shoulders. "Let's go!"

As we head towards the office building, I almost miss the quiet sigh from my teacher. _Hahaha... I just love annoying you._

_To the traitorous Governor-General Dorr!_

_

* * *

_

**A/N: **...I just spent 7 hours straight typing this. My hands are killing me... But I did it for you guys. Just for YOU.

**Sephiroth: **Shall I make sure they are grateful, Tilly?

**Princess: **Sephy! You made it! _-jumps for joy-_

**Sephiroth: **Of course. I always make it a priority to meet with my... true friends, my Princess.

**Princess: **_-blushes brightly- _O-oh., stop it! You're m-making me b-blush...

**Sephiroth: **_-purrs- _So, where is this horrible Yuan who insulted you? I shall make him pay.

**Princess: **_-still blushing- _H-he went t-that way. READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE!


	20. Scattered Memories

**

* * *

A/N: **...I am still alive! 

**DISCLAIMER: **I, PrincessKaina2, do not own _Tales of Symphonia _in any way, shape, or form. The song lyrics belong to their owners, not me. I just own a copy of the _Nickelback _C.D., Tilly, Orkion, and Steven. Any other OCs or strange people belong to a few faithful reviewers.

Once again, not much has happened. I managed to survive Picture Day at school, which went alright, and I started another short story. It's called "Chaotic Game Show". My OC, Tilly, hosts a game show where the ToS characters must deal with her crazy games, questions, and rewards. I'll proably have the OCs from other reviewers in there, too. I'll post it at some point.

...That's what happens when I watch a "Whose Line Is It Anyways" marathon. I just need to get my crazy personality in typing. I'll update when I feel like writing something that makes no sense... Except for my twisted sense of humor.

Gantz, ShadowChocobo, I think you'll really like this chapter. _-cough-BLAINE-and-LONA-cough-_

_S_ome of the reviewers have drawn fan art for my story! I have also drawn several pictures. Go to my forum about this story, and there is a topic called "Fan Art". Go there and comment! My art is also posted here: http:// princess kaina2 . deviant art . com (Delete the spaces!)

_**Hey, do you guys like the little song lyrics between the breaks? Put "yes" or "no" in your review, please!**_

Yuan's not here... I really hope Sephy didn't kill him. He's my personal servant. _-smirks- _ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

_**"Watch our hero as he grows impatient  
He's irritated, so he keeps her waiting  
Building up suspense is good for leverage  
And she approaches  
Chewing words that he said  
A question mark that's penciled over her head"  
**_

_**("Lovers Into Ghosts", Pink Spider)**_

* * *

"I can't believe they're making us wait! Don't you agree with me, Tilly?" 

_Wow... That church is huge! It's a lot nicer that I thought it would be. The people of this world take their religion much more seriously than-_

"You're not listening to me, idiot."

"Don't call me that." I say automatically, not really paying attention to Lloyd.

The twin swordsman sighs and sits down in a chair next to me. We were waiting for Dorr at a small table in the nearby garden. The rest of the group had gone to shop for supplies.

I lay my head down on my arms and try to ignore the boy's complaints. _The guards said Governor-General Dorr was in a meeting, you impatient dork. Besides, it feels nice to just relax for a bit. _A strange voice interupts my thoughts.

"Excuse me, could you please tell me where the inn is? I just got here, so..." _Wait a minute. that voice sounds vaguely familiar._

I immediately jek my head up and stare at the stranger behind Lloyd. _I feel like I should know him..._

The boy looked to be about Lloyd's age and had light brown hair covered by a crimson bandana. He had on a sky-blue zip-up vest, with a dark-blue long-sleeved shirt underneath. He was also wearing black jeans and muddy brown boots.

I noticed the two strange pistols on his black belt. _Pistols? Those are quite rare in this world. _The light-blue Ex-Sphere on his left hand also caught my attention. _And he has a crytal, too._

"Sure. it's just past the shops here, across the bridge." Lloyd answers the boy and points him in the right direction.

The strangely dressed boy smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, man. This place is really big for being near a Ranch-"

Our eyes met from across the small table.

He stops talking immediately, blushing brightly. He stumbles back a few steps. "O-oh... I m-mean... T-thanks!" He mutters and runs off towards the bridge.

I blink in confusion. _What the hell just happened?_

Lloyd stares at the boy's retreating back, just as confused as I was. "Tilly... Did you know that guy? He ran off as soon as he saw you."

"N-no..." I stutter hesitantly. _Actually, I really feel that I should know that kid._

_...And why the hell do I have the sudden urge to call him 'Prince'?! _I think before I lay my head down on my arms again. The sounds of the city slowly fade as I fall asleep.

* * *

"**_Can't believe its happening  
When I least expect it  
My prince under disguise  
How you fooled me with those eyes  
When I feel like letting go  
In your arms is where I know  
I am wrong  
From the beginning we always belong"_**

**_("Love Story", Katherine McPhee)_**

* * *

_A young elven girl, about twelve-years-old, sits in the middle of a giant stone platform. Her dark brown hairs flutters softly in the wind. _

_"Momma, Daddy... My brother and I are doing fine. Kratos has taken care of us for three years now." Tilly whispers softly to the air. __She slowly traces the strange symbols surrounding the ruins of the Wind Summon Spirit._

_"Dad, look! We're finally at the ruins!" A half-elven boy, about a year older than her, runs excitedly up the large staircase in excitement. _

_Tilly quickly jumps up. "Hey, don't run that fast! You'll trip-"_

**_THUD!_**

_"Ouch..." The boy sits up from where he had fallen flat on his face. "T-that hurt..."_

_The elven girl walks over to where the other had tripped. "You okay?" She asks worriedly._

_She takes glances at his light brown hair and the too-large crimson bandana covering it. "You do know that's much too big for your head, right?' She holds out her hand to him._

_The boy accepts her kindness and dusts himself off before finally looking at his helper. "T-thanks..." He stutters, blushing brightly._

_"Hmm? Are you sure?" Tilly moves her hand to his forehead, but he backs away nervously._

_"I'm f-feeling f-fine!" He stutters again. _

_She smiles softly at his response. "So... What's your name? I'm Tilly Avera."_

_"You look like a princess..." The half-elf whispers to himself, but she manages to hear him._

_"I'm like a princess? Why, thank you!" Tilly can't help but laugh loudly as he blushes even brighter. "Now, will you tell me your name?"_

_"M-my n-name is Blaine Gun."_

_"Blaine, huh? I think I'll just call you 'Prince'."_

_"W-what?! No!"_

_"How about Blay-Blay, then?"_

"Wake up, Tilly! I think that's the Governor-General."

I look in the direction that Lloyd was pointing to. _Blond hair, dishonest voice, and creepy daughter... That's definitely Dorr. _We both watch silently as a little boy runs up to the man.

"Governor-General Dorr! Dad was taken away to the ranch and hasn't come back. Even though I've been a good boy!" The kid sobs to Dorr.

"Hang on just a little longer. I promised, remember? I'll save everyone who's been taken away to the ranch." The man smiles gently and pats the boy on the head. _Lies..._

He continues to cry._ "_But… I'm lonely…"

The young blond girl next to Dorr speaks quietly. "Don't worry. Father is a friend of everyone in this city. My mother died of an illness, but your father should still be alive. I'm sure he'll come back."

"…Really?"

"Yes. They were all taken away because they fought back against the Desians. I swear I'll rescue them." The Governor-General falsely promises. _Ugh... It's making me sick listening to this crap._

"Good boy. Let's go, Kilia." He takes his daughter's hand.

"Yes, Father." The little girl follows her father into the office building. The boy runs off towards the main part of the city.

"Dorr seems like a great man, doesn't he, Tilly?" Lloyd asks me.

"Hmm..." I don't answer Lloyd. _It will be better if he finds out the man's treachery on his own._

"Hey, you two! We're back!" Orkion waves to us, standing next to the Governor-General's building. "Come on! We're going in!" The rest of our companions stand beside him.

_Just keep your mouth closed. Everything will be fine..._

* * *

**_"Afraid to cry,_****_ suffocated for trying to scream  
And I want out now to find myself  
Cause perfect only makes you crazy  
There is no way that it can save me  
I'm sick of feelin like a traitor  
Is this the price for good behavior"_**

**_("Good Behavior", Plumb)  
_**

* * *

"Greetings, travelers! We welcome travelers, as per the teachings of Martel. May the blessing of Martel be upon those who journey. By the way, may I ask where you have come from? Are you on a pilgrimage for Martel?" 

I stand silently behind Kratos, trying hard not to be sick. _He's so fake. _Dorr continues to speak with the others.

"Ah, we came from Iselia. We're on a journey for world regeneration." Lloyd answers the man.

"World regeneration...?" Dorr says slowly, looking suspicious.

"Yeah. Colette is the Chosen of Mana." I reply and point at my blond companion. "The giant tower appeared after she recieved her crystal." _I think I may have stolen Genis' line again._

"Are you saying that you are the Chosen?"

_Doesn't anyone else notice that he isn't believing us? _"Ah, um, yes. It appears that way, anyways." _That did not help, Colette..._

The Governor-General suddenly slams his hands down on the wooden desk. "The Chosen was just here moments ago! How dare you defile that name!" He yells angrily. "These despicable criminals must be arrested and turned over to the church at once!"

Several guards suddenly appear behind our group. _Damn it!_

I start to back away from the soldiers, but I trip over my feet and accidently shove Colette to the ground. _Sorry about that!_

The girl's bright pink wings start to glimmer softly on her back. The guards are startled by the angel wings and quickly back away.

"Wow! Father, did you see?! She has wings! She's like an angel! They're beautiful!" Kilia jumps up and down in excitement, pointing at the Chosen One. _You already know she's an angel, you horrific demon!_

"W-wait! Everyone, lower your weapons! This person before us is without a doubt the Chosen of Mana!" Dorr frantically orders the soldiers as Colette puts away her wings. _Hey... Isn't that Neil's line? Where is that guy?_

I glance around the large office room while the rest of the group continues to talk with the Governor-General. The man's little daughter notices my lack of participation in the conversation. She quietly walks over and stands next to me. "Can I talk to you a moment, miss?" She smiles innocently at me.

_Why do I get a bad feeling about this? _I return the smile nervously and follow Kilia into a nearby room. Kratos glances curiously at us, but doesn't move from beside the Professor.

"Have a seat, please." The young girl sits down on a vacant couch and lightly pats the space next to her. "I won't bite."

_...Yet. _I ignore the feeling of doom in the back of my mind and sit down next to her. _The bad feeling is just getting stronger..._

"You must be Tilly Avera. Lord Remiel told us all about you."

"W-what?!" _She knows already?!_

Kilia giggles softly at my stunned expression. "Don't deny it, girl." She sneers hatefully at me. "You already know I'm not human... Don't you?"

I try to get up from the old couch, but she suddenly seizes my right hand. "Show me your lovely crystal, Tilly." The demon girl looks closely at the back of my hand. "It truly is a Cruxis Crystal..."

"L-let go of me!" _I'm in trouble! _

Kilia sneers at me again when I try to pull my trapped hand back. "You're so weak at this point. "You need to grow stronger if you want to be a Seraph soon, elf."

_Seraph?! _"I will never follow Yggdra-" I shut my mouth before I can reveal anything else.

"So... You are more than you appear to be. How do you know of Lord Yggdrasil?" She tightens her grip around my wrist.

I flinch at the sudden pain, but I stay silent. _Just don't talk to her._

"Hmm... Did your precious guardian let something slip? Shall I ask my Lady Pron-"

"Kilia! Bring our young guest back in here!" Dorr calls to his daughter from the main room.

I immediately yank my arm from her grip and jump up from the couch when her concentration is broken. I back away as she slowly stands up.

"Don't tell anyone about our little talk." Kilia quietly warns me. She calmly walks out of the room, leaving me behind.

I hesitate, thinking about her threat, before following after her.

"Tilly!" Lloyd lays his hand on my shoulder and leads me to the door. "We're going to the Church to get a certain book."

"A book?" I ask, avoiding his eyes.

"Yeah! It has all the seals in it!" He replies with a happy expression on his face. "We won't have to wander all over Sylverant with it!"

I nod silently and try to act excited. _Sorry about my attitude, Lloyd. I have a lot to think about..._

* * *

_**"You came into my life sent from above  
Better than a dream, such a perfect love  
And I'll adore you 'til the end of time  
Angel of mine" **_

**_(Unknown)_**

* * *

"I'll just wait outside, okay? I have some... errands to do." I wave at my companions and walk away from the Church of Martel. 

_Now... What to do? _I sit down at an adjacent bench and sigh heavily. _I just didn't want to listen to conversations I've already heard before._

"Hey! Is that you, Tilly Avera?!"

_Huh...? That voice! _"Lona?!"

A strong body tackles me to the ground. Soft light-blue hair covers my face. "Tia! It's been months since we last saw each other!"

I gently push the other person off of me and we both stand back up. I observe the new arrival.

A young woman, about twenty-years-old, smiles cheerfully at me. Her beautiful light-blue hair seems to flow like water on her back.

Her clothes consist of a forest green tunic, light green jeans, and black boots. A golden-hilted sword is attached to her left hip.

"It's so nice to see you again, little one." Her bright green eyes reveal her immense happiness at our reunion.

"Don't call me that, Lona Chocobo!"

"Oh? What happened to my nickname?"

"Fine... Lonabo." I roll my eyes at the human's insistance of her pet name. _You are just about the only person who likes the nicknames I give them._

Lona wraps an arm around my shoulders. "Four months have passed since we last saw each other... That's far too long for best friends. How has the old man been treating you and your brother?"

"We've been just fine. He was hired not too long ago to guard the Chosen One, so we have been traveling with her group." I casually answer, not thinking about my words.

"The Chosen?!" The older woman gasps. "I've been trying so hard to find her!"

"For what reason? You've never had an interest in all that religious junk."

"Well... It's about my Ex-Sphere..." Lona slowly rubs the back of her right hand. "You know..."

"What?! It still has no Keycrest?! I told you to get one! It's-"

"It's been three years since I escaped that horrid Ranch! Nothing bad has happened, elfling."

"Yet! The crystal will eventually turn you into-"

The worried human interupts me again. "That's why I need the Chosen of Mana. If I go with her, then I might find a way to remove this accursed thing."

"Wait. What do you mean? Do you want to go with us?" I ask her hopefully. _Please! The more, the better!_

"Yes! Just let me ask the Chosen first." Lona wraps her arms around me again in a tight hug. "By the way, who else is in the group?"

There's Kratty and my brother, of course." I reply.

"Oh... I'll get some alone time with Kratos..." She says with a dreamy look on her face."

"...I'm going to pretend you never said that."

"He is so hot-" _No! Don't say that!_

"-Anyways, there also is a boy named Lloyd Irving. He's about a year older than me."

"He sounds nice. Why don't you date-"

I quickly hold my hand up to stop her words. "I will not! Lloyd is cute, but he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, you know?" I explain to her.

"Hey! I am not stupid! ...And did you just call me cute?"

I turn around only to see a confused Lloyd. _Ah! What the hell do I say?! _"Uh..."

"You must be Lloyd! I'm Lona Chocobo, Tilly's best friend from Asgard." The woman next to me suddenly grabs his hand and shakes it.

I step back from them and just listen to their conversation. _Thanks, Lonabo. So much has happened today... I met Blaine again, but he disappeared. And Lona is going to travel with me from now on!_

_With all these new people, including myself, will the storyline be any different?_

* * *

_**"No longer a child  
Different eyes see different things  
Different hearts beat on different strings  
But there are times  
For you and me, when all such things agree"**_

_**("Different Strings", Rush)  
**_

* * *

"Kratos! I'm back!" 

"Lona?! Wait, don't-"

Lona ignores the older man's protests and tackles him to the ground, hugging him tightly.

"Miss Chocobo, please get off of me." Kratos sighs deeply and gently pushes the affectionate woman away from him.

"Aw, come on, Kratty-"

"Hey! I'm the only one who can call him that." I interupt her love-struck rambling.

"Um... Who is she?" Colette asks, looking at Lona curiously. "Is she a friend of yours, Tilly?"

"Yes, I certainly am! We've been best friends for three years." The human woman answers for me. "Tia, why don't you introduce me to your friends?"

I roll my eyes at her sudden subject change, but I point at the red swordsman beside me. "This is Lloyd Irving, our twin blade user and village idiot."

"I am not!"

I lay my hand on the shoulder of the small half-elf on the other side of Lloyd. "This is Genis Sage. He's the mage and the smartest person in our group."

Genis waves shyly at Lona, a small blush on his face. _He looks so huggable when he does that._

I move over next to the Professor. "...And this is the older sister of Genis, Raine Sage. She is our healer and our teacher."

The two women shake hands and observe each other closely. "I think we will become good friends, Miss Sage." Lona smiles brightly. _Uh oh. Why do I have a feeling of doom all of a sudden?_

"Yes, but please, call me Professor. That's what everyone else calls me." Raine replies and returns the smile. _Doom... overwhelming... so strong..._

"...To continue..." I walk through them and stand beside my other female friend. "This is Colette Brunel. She is the Chosen of Mana."

Lona's eyes widen in surprise. "Really?!" She runs over to the Chosen and takes her hand. _Lonabo covered her Ex-Sphere with some bandages. That's good. Otherwise, there would be chaos if Kratty saw it..._

"May I accompany you on your journey of regeneration, Miss Brunel? It is my greatest wish to help the Chosen One do her duty." Lona asks hopefully, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Um... If you are a friend of Tilly's, then you are a friend of mine, Lona Chocobo!"

"Yeah! Oh, thank you, Colette!" The blue-haired woman squeals happily. _YES!_

'We're going on a journey! We're going on a journey!" Lona and I sing while jumping up and down. "We're going-"

Kratos suddenly reaches out and grabs the backs of our tunics. "Please don't do that, girls." He says with annoyance.

I giggle quietly as Lona pouts cutely at the stern mercenary. She shrugs off his grip. "Where exactly are we going, Kratos?"

"Since there is not enough time to travel to the mountain before the sun sets, we are going to stay at the inn tonight." He answers.

"...Mountain?" She asks me in confusion.

"Hakonesia Peak. We are trying to find a stupid book that was stolen." I take her hand and turn to face the rest of the group. "Now that we have some free time, we are going to wander around the city."

"Wander? Well, let's just split up and meet back-"

"-At the inn. I know, Lloydiekins."

"H-hey!"

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter is finally done! _-dances- _And I've already started Ch. 21! It'll have the exam in it... 

Hmm... Sephy still hasn't come back... I think I need to call some friends for help.

READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE!


	21. Fragments of the Soul

**A/N: **I finally managed to type Ch. 21 up. I just didn't have enough time at school and at home... That's why it took a long time.

...And I got hooked on a LiveJournal RP called Suzuran Gakuen. I have 3 characters on there now. (See profile for details.)

-Hatake Kakashi, Science teacher

-Edward Elric, First-year Student

-Hohenheim Elric, System Administrator

But enough about that...

I beat _Kingdom Hearts 2 _in two weeks. I love that game! Especially Riku... _-drools-_

I have drawn several pictures, but I have yet to post them on Deviant Art. It is going to a long time scanning and posting over a dozen drawings...

The next few chapters are going to be a little chaotic. Most of the OCs are joining/meeting the party at the same time. _-sweatdrops- _I'll remember them better this way... I hope.

I was Itachi Uchiha (From "Naruto") for Halloween! My aunt bought me a cool costume set. I love it.

Deviant Art: http:// princess kaina2 . deviant art . com (Minus the spaces!)

Live Journal: http:// princess tilly2 . live journal . com (Minus the spaces!)

**Princess: **ON WITH THE- _-cell phone rings- _Huh? _-answers phone- _Hello? Oh, h-hi... Um, how did you g-get my number? A little snake told you? Ah... _-laughs nervously- _Y-yeah, I did n-need help finding Y-yuan. S-see you soon. _-closes the phone- _

...How the hell did HE get my number?! YUAN, WHERE ARE YOU?!

* * *

"No! You can't make me!" 

"It's just a school, Tilly-"

"You mean nightmare! I hate school!" I yell angrily at Lona.

The older woman tightens her grip on my arm and ignores my complaints. "I saw the others go in there a few minutes ago! Let's follow them!"

"Who cares?! I just want to go shopping!" I brace myself against the doorframe as she tries to pull me inside the building. "Dammit, I said NO!"

"We've been doing that for the past twenty minutes, sapphire!"

"That doesn't matter- What did you just call me?!" I yell at her again, accidentally letting go of the door. _Oops._

"Aha!" She finally pulls me into the Palmacosta Academy and we both collapse on the hard floor. "Hahahaha! I win!"

I rub my head where it had hit a nearby bookshelf. "Ouch... Just answer my question, Lona."

"Oh? I called you sapphire because of your outfit. You must really love the color blue," She giggles.

I blush darkly. _I didn't notice that it was that obvious._

"Just like that Lloyd kid must love red!"

"AAAARRRGGGHHH!"

"Children! No yelling inside the school, girls!" An elderly man frowns at us from the top of the stairs. He slowly steps down.

"Sorry, sir," I hastily apologize. I nudge Lona with my elbow. _If we get in trouble... I blame you._

"Uh... We are very sorry about the noise. We didn't notice how loud our conversation was," She answers, smiling politely.

"Well..." The man pauses to take a closer look at our faces. "You wouldn't happen to be Tilly and Lona, would you?"

"Yes, we are, sir," I reply quietly. _How does he know our names?_

"Great! The rest of your companions are upstairs in room number two. Miss Sage wanted you young ladies to take a short quiz." _Quiz?! No! _

Before I can make my escape, Lona seizes my hands and starts to pull me up the stairs. "Thank you! We'll be going now!" _No tests! Tests bad for Tilly! _

"No! Let go, you crazy-"

"You are going to take this test, whether you want to or not, Tilly," Kratos murmurs softly as I am dragged into the classroom. _I'm smart, but I loathe taking tests..._

"Since we are all here now..." Raine glances over at me. "You have an hour and twenty minutes to complete the test. You may start."

The rough pencil (1) rubs against my fingers. I slowly write my name at the top of the paper. _Please let it be easy... or at least let me get a higher score than Lloyd..._

**1) What was the name of the person who stopped the great war long ago?**

I sigh in relief. _I know this one._

**_Mithos the Hero_**

**2) Who was the first king of Sylverant after the signing of the treaty?**

_Damn... And this is only the second question. _I silently stare at the white paper, wishing for the answer to appear. _I'll just leave it blank._

**3) What are the Holy Artifacts and where can they be found?**

_...I'm doomed._

* * *

**36) What are the four main elements of Sylverant?**

_Finally. The last freakin' question. _I close my eyes briefly, thinking hard about the answer. _At least this one sounds easy..._

**_Fire, water, wind, light_**

_Those are the four elemental Seals, so I think that's right._

As I quickly scribble the words down, the Professor stands up.

"The time is up. Please put down your pencils and hand in your papers. Mr. Izuka and I shall grade them," The silver-haired woman announces. _Mr. Izuka? Weird name._

"Yes, but it will take a little while. Feel free to explore the building, but please stay inside," The old man replies and follows the professor into the hallway.

I immediately jump to my feet and walk around my stern guardian. "I'm going to go see if they have a library, guys."

"I thought you hated anything associated with school, Ti-Ti," Lona says, smirking at me.

"I never said I hated books... And don't call me that," I reach over and lightly punch her shoulder. "I love to read, silly. I wonder if they have any manga..."

"Manga? What's that?"

_WHAT?! _"Huh? Oh, never mind. I'll just be back in a bit," I make my escape in a hurry, shutting the door behind me. _No manga?! No... There should be some in a Japanese game._

I wander the second floor without a specific destination in mind. _But this world isn't supposed to be like Earth, I guess. Hell, I don't even know what language I'm speaking._

"Awesome! This place has a book about ancient weapons! Maybe it will have a chapter about pistols..." An excited voice whispers across the hallway.

I sneak over and stand in front the room, listening through the slightly open door.

"Darn. This one does not have any information, either..."

The occupant of the small library doesn't notice my presence as I silently step inside. _I finally found you again, idiot._

Blaine Gun slowly turns the pages of the book in his lap. The young man has his trademark red bandana off, revealing his light brown hair.

"So... This is where to ran to."

He jumps up in surprise at the sound of my voice. "T-tilly?!"

"It's been four years since we last saw each other," I say quietly.

"Uh... W-well..." The boy stutters, looking at me nervously.

"You never came back."

"Tilly... Something happened when my parents and I were returning to Luin," Blaine whispers sadly. He sits down on a nearby bench.

I gently sit beside him. "What happened?" _That sad expression worries me._

"My parents were murdered by Desians."

"...What?!"

"It's true," The boy continues. "I was just barely able to escape with my life. I managed to grab two strange weapons from those... monsters."

_Monsters? I can't believe his hatred is that strong._

"I tried to kill them, but I was too scared to pull the trigger," Blaine pulls out two brightly colored pistols from the holsters on his belt. "These are the very same ones."

I carefully hold one of the heavy metal guns. "Do you use these for battle?"

"Yeah," He nods. "I was left orphaned in the middle of a deserted forest. I found myself in the small town of Hima after a few months. It's been my home ever since."

"Well, I'm glad that we finally found each other again, Blay-Blay," I smile happily, ignoring the shocked expression on the half-elf's face.

"D-don't call me that!"

"What? Would you prefer 'Prince'?"

"Yes- I mean, neither!" Blaine glares angrily at me.

"Hahaha!" I can't help but laugh. "Anyways..."

"Hmm?" He glances over at me curiously while retrieving his old bandana.

I hesitate before asking. "Would you like to travel with my group? Kratos is guarding the Chosen, so Orkion and I are going with him."

_Three... Two... One..._

"Your guardian? I haven't met- THE CHOSEN ONE?!"

_Seriously, is it really that big of a deal?_

"So? What's your answer?"

"Of course I'll go with you, Tilly!" He answers and jumps up from the bench.

"Great!" _I wonder how this will affect the journey...? Well, it's practically screwed anyways. After all, I'm not supposed to be here, either._

"...Where are the others? The ones that you said you were traveling with?"

I look behind me to see the boy already in the doorway. _What the-? He's fast. _He is hopping from foot to foot, barely containing his excitement.

"They are all in the classroom down the hall. The Professor made us all take a stupid test..." I reply unhappily.

Blaine doesn't notice the sudden change in my tone and grabs my wrist. He pulls me out into the hallway, just like Lona had done not long before.

"Hey, watch the clothing, you moron!" I snap.

"Is this it?" He opens the door to the classroom, still holding onto my cloak.

"What the hell?! Blaine, LET GO-"

"Tia... Who is this?"

We both freeze in our tracks. Blaine releases his grip on my clothing and I scoot away from him nervously. He blushes darkly and turns away from the stares of my other friends.

"Um... This is Blaine Gun, Kratty. He is another friend of mine that wants to travel with the Chosen- I mean, Colette," I try to explain.

"I do not recall this... boy," My teacher frowns at the two of us.

I sigh. "Four years ago, his family visited Asgard for a few weeks. You had been hired by a weapon merchant during that time, remember?"

The auburn-haired man still looks suspicious. _Okay, it's nice that you're showing such concern, but I can take care of myself. _

"...Never mind," I lay my hand on the still-blushing boy's shoulder. "Blay-Blay, this is Kratos Aurion, my cruel- er, loving guardian." _Oops. My mouth seems really bold today. I'm going to get hurt at some point today._

Blaine reluctantly turns around and smiles nervously. _Is the guy really that intimidating? I guess since I was his fangirl on Earth, he doesn't seem that way to me._

"It's nice to meet you!" Colette smiles kindly at him.

"Uh... H-hello..."

The girl moves closer and notices his slightly pointy ears. "Oh! You're an elf just like Tilly!" _Uh-oh. This is not a good subject. _

"Huh? Y-yeah, I guess-"

"Why don't you guys get to know our new buddy?" I quickly interrupt before Blaine can embarrass himself any further. I look over my shoulder and glare at him.

The Chosen smiles again. "Okay!" She quietly whispers something in his ear and leads him over to where the silver-haired midget is talking with Lona.

_Sheesh. _I listen as my old friends starts to talk with my new ones. _...Old friend? Hmph. I'm not even from this world. _My thoughts begin to wander again.

_There have been four strangers in this world so far... I think the storyline is doomed. I'm not so sure anymore if the worlds will be saved or Yggdrasil will kill us all._

_Oooh, bad thought. I really don't want to die... Especially in a video game, with my true life forgotten. I may seem tough, but I'll run if it seems my life is in danger. _

_What will happen when we reach the Tower of Salvation? Will I become a Seraph, just like Kilia said I would? _My eyes glance down at the bloody crystal on my right hand. _When Kratos betrays us, I think I'll chase after him. I want to know who... or what I am._

_Why me? Is it my fate to save Sylverant and Tethe'alla? Or is this all just a big dream? Ugh, I have way too may questions! _

"...Sister?" Orkion looks at me in concern and pokes me my shoulder. "The Professor is back."

I immediately sit up straight. _No slaps to the head for me, thank you. ...Oh! Lloyd, wake-_

"Ow! Professor!"

_-Up. Idiot._

"The tests have been graded. Here are the results," Raine announces. "Lloyd Irving, twenty-five points."

"Yeah! That's good, right?" Lloyd smiles and seems to just swell with pride.

"Colette Brunel, one-hundred and eighty points."

_Wait for it... _"...Huh? Isn't this out of one-hundred?"

"Lloyd, you idiot, it's out of four hundred," Genis answers, rolling his eyes at the stupidity of his friend.

"Orkion Avera, two-hundred points."

"YES!" My brother jumps up from his chair. "I'm smarter than Lloyd!"

"Tilly Avera-"

_Please let me get higher than my little monkey brother. Or at least better than Lloydie. Come on, dammit._

"-Three hundred points."

_Arrrggghh! I failed- ...Say what?_

"Congrats, Sis! You managed to beat me!" Orkion squeezes by the others and hugs me tightly. "At least I know you're smarter than the crimson wonder over there."

"H-hey!"

I weakly return the hug. _How?! I skipped at least half of the questions! And I guessed for most of it. What the f-_

"-Genis Sage, four-hundred points."

The Professor's voice snaps me out of my stupor. I realize that I had missed the rest of the scores. _Oh, well. I already knew what they were going to be, anyways._

An intense wave of pain hits my head and spreads throughout my body.

"K-kratos..." I try to whisper before the world goes black.

* * *

_"Big brother!" A young boy, around ten-years-old, wanders the hallways of a large mansion. "Juan..."_

_He ignores the beautiful paintings and the priceless heirlooms he walks past. The lifeless faces just seem to glare at the little human._

_"I'm outside, Jorge!" A deep teenage voice replies from the back of the home._

_Jorge runs to the ornate back door and pulls it open, forgetting to shut it tight. "There you are, brother!" He yells happily._

_The young man, around eighteen-years-old, bends down and picks up the squealing boy. "I thought I told you earlier that I was going to train after lunch, dork."_

_"I forgot about it!"_

_Juan chuckles. "Well, if you calm down, I might let you watch," He sets his younger brother down on a nearby bench._

_"Yay!" The kid cheers loudly._

_"Shh. Calm down, okay?"_

_"Oh. Oops," Jorge smiles nervously. "By the way... Have you had any more dreams about that elven girl?" He asks._

_"Yes..." Juan sighs and pauses to remove his gloves._

_"Really?! Do you know what she looks like now?"_

_"I actually saw her this time. She was a little younger than me and her hair was the color of dark chocolate," He closes his eyes dreamily. "And it was tied up in a neat ponytail."_

_"Neat? Hahaha..."_

_"Don't interrupt. The girl wore dark blue clothes and there was a long sword on her left hip. Her eyes were-" He hesitates._

_"Were what, brother?"_

_"...They were like beautiful sapphires. Two jewels that shined with fire, yet revealed a hidden sadness. I feel like I should know her."_

_"Then let's go find that woman!" Jorge jumps up from the marble bench, but his older brother grabs his dark tunic._

_"You know Father won't let us leave Meltokio," Juan reminds the boy._

_"But-"_

_"We'll just stay here. Besides, I have a feeling that she will come to us..."_

**_(-Interesting. The Daemon brothers seem to be connected to you, Tilly Avera.-) _**

**_

* * *

_**

_"Please! You have to let me through!" A young sixteen-year-old girl pleads while standing in front of a guarded pathway._

_"I'm sorry, miss. I can't let you through without a pass," An armored soldier apologizes, feeling guilty that he has caused such grief to the woman._

_"But I was with the pilgrimage group that passed through here earlier! Please-"_

_"No pass, no passage," He repeats._

_The girl blushes darkly and silently walks away. She sits down on the ground next to the small cottage on the path, her face expressionless._

_"What do I do now?" Her hands slowly curl into fists. "Cyrus... I'll find you... somehow."_

**_(-Yet another newcomer. Is she another lonely soul who requires your help?-)_**

**_

* * *

_**

**_(-Tilly...-)_**

_Who are you?_

**_(-Ah, she can speak! You will meet me soon, little lost soul.-)_**

_Am I dead?_

**_(-No, sweetie. Just dreaming. Sorry about the pain, though. I guess your body wasn't ready for my power just yet.-)_**

_...Power?_

**_(-As I said, we'll meet soon! Now, I believe there is someone who is very concerned about your health right now. Back you go!-)_**

_W-wait! At least tell me your name!_

**_(-...Kioko.-) _**

**_

* * *

_**

_Ouch. My head feels like I got hit by Colette's chakrams again..._

"Tia..."

"Shh! You'll wake her up!"

I keep my eyes closed and try to focus on the surrounding voices. _Stop talking already. My head hurts._

"Professor, is she going to be okay?"

"Tilly appears to be just fine now. However, she still has a slight fever. Kratos, would you mind watching her for me? I'm going to go see if there is a doctor in town. Her sudden collapse does worry me."

"...No. I'll stay here."

"Thank you. Let's go, children."

I hear the footsteps of several people leave the room. _Good grief. They all managed to fit into one room?_

The first thing I notice when I open my eyes is the stern figure of my guardian sitting next to the bed. "You look sad, Kratty," I smile weakly.

The mercenary looks over at me. "You are finally awake," He replies with barely concealed relief.

"Duh, you moron," My remark earns a glare from him. "So... What happened after I fainted? I don't remember much..."

"Lloyd caught you in his arms"- _What?! _"-before you hit the floor. It was very lucky that he heard you whisper something."

_Please tell me he didn't hear it! Please, please, p-_

"He said it was my name."

_...I'm going to kill you, Lloyd. _"S-so? W-why are you t-telling me this?" I stutter nervously.

"No reason. I just wanted to see your reaction."

"Bastard!"

"...Cyntelliea Marie Avera!"

"Don't say my- Ow, damn it! Stop hitting my head!"

* * *

**A/N: **It's almost midnight and my hands hurt. But I got this typed-

**Knock. Knock.**

-Oh, hell! He's here already?! What do I do?!

...If I'm still alive after tonight, I'll start on Ch. 22!

Don't you want my help, sssssssweetie? You're my sssssspecial friend...

**Princess: **_-waves a sign with the words, "Help Me"- _READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! EVEN IF IT'S JUST A FEW WORDS! OR A FREAKIN' SMILEY FACE!


	22. Ninjas, Jerks, and Boys Oh My!

**A/N: **My _God, I_ haven't updated in a while. Over half a year, I think. I am in _shock,_ people. (I can't believe I forgot about ASG... _-sobs-_)

**Tilly: **YOU LEFT ME ALL ALONE, YOU UNGRATEFUL-!

**Princess: **Uh... I d-did n-not... I just- I just...

**Tilly: **_(__is not even looking at the authoress) _Off playing with your new OC, hmm? That Deo fellow from LJ?

**Princess: **I use that on-line journal site to help me unwind and stuff. And I he was good for a change. You're all heroic and good, while Deo-kun's... Well...

**Tilly: **Man, I've seen his profile. What crack were you snorting when you thought of _that _bastard? He's _insane._

**Princess: **Er...

**Tilly: **Granted, that freak is hot, but he's blood-thirsty, arrogant, tries to force himself on others...

**Princess: **_(cough-cough) _ANYWAYS... ON WITH THE STORY!

(P.S. My writing style has changed a little since I last updated, but I think it's better now. I mean, I'm going to be a Junior next year and I need good typing skills, right?)

(P.S.S. And go to here to see Deo and the RP I'm with: **http : / / deathly-****snake . live journal . com / **

-But without the spaces!)

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Hmm?_

I sit up from the soft bed and slowly move my eyes about the inn room, my mind still quite hazy from sleep. _Why did my body wake me up now? I don't think the sun will come up for a couple more hours..._

As if to answer my question, I notice that moonlight is shining through the closed window, on the other side of the room. It seems to have a purity and brightness that I had never seen back on Earth.

_Arrrgghhh. Usually my brother has to drag me out of bed well after dawn breaks. Is something... wrong?_

I pause to listen for any noise that is not a part of the inn's surroundings, trying not to listen to the rapid beating of my heart. I didn't know why I was becoming so nervous all of a sudden. It was just a little building in a calm little town, for Martel's sake.

_Nope, nothing but people snoring and the sounds of the outdoors. Hmm... Then what woke me up?_

Unable to shake off the uneasy feeling that there was danger nearby (_Am I turning into Spider-Man now?), _I quickly slide off the bed and onto the floor, digging underneath it to find my belongings. I reach into the bag hastily and try not to cut myself on anything sharp while I'm at it. _I stuff everything I find in this old, scratched thing. Daggers, loot, books..._

Soon enough, I am fully dressed in my traveling outfit, along with my weapons. _Maybe I'll go for a walk just to be sure. It'll be time to leave Palmacosta in a few hours, anyways. _

I pause in my tracks in front of the room's only door. _Uh... I better use the window instead. I don't want anyone to know I'm gone. Especially Kratty._

But a quick look out into the cool night air makes me doubt my decision. _Whoah... That looks like a hell of a lot smaller jump from the ground. Can I do this without breaking something? ...Wait. I'm a warrior in this world. My previous poor athletic skills don't matter here, right? This won't hurt... I hope._

Taking a deep breath, I put one foot up onto the windowsill and follow with my other one. Stepping off the ledge, I drop silently to the ground without a problem, barely disturbing the dusty cobblestones beneath me.

_I just hope no one needs me for a while. Or that Desians attack unexpectedly. With my luck, they probably will, the bastards._

A few birds are already chirping in the distance, but there are few accompanying sounds in the air. Palmacosta is eerily silent. I walk down the main path with no particular destination in mind, just happy to be outside in the fresh air. My mind starts to wander.

_Geez, this place is so clean! I mean, the air even tastes sweet and I can even see the stars. I wonder what it would be like to actually live h-_

_No, no, stop thinking like that! I belong back on Earth, where I still have family and friends... And technology. _I roll my eyes at the thought. It had taken a while to get used to the 'medieval' aspects of Sylverant, such as the lack of indoor plumbing and the Internet._ I can't wait to get to Tethe'alla already. Even if I'd have to put up with Zelos._

My heart seems to give a slight fan-girlish flutter at the mention of the male Chosen's name. _Okay, so he's a pervert. A mighty hot one, I might add. I wonder if he'll have a special name for me? Should I hit him like Sheena or what? Will I even live to see that idiot?_

I sigh softly, and lean against a nearby building. The brick feels cool under my clenching fingers. _...I really need to stop thinking about such gloomy thoughts. I need to stay upbeat, positive... like Colette. She's the most cheerful person I've ever known. I'm not even that innocent, myself. Maybe if I start tripping over everything, I'll be like her..._

_...On second thought, I would probably end up falling off a cliff. Or being eaten by a monster. Once again, I just have the worst freakin' luck of all the people-_

"Why can't we attack them **now?**" A male voice echoes echoes through the oppressive silence.

I immediately freeze in my tracks. Voices were coming from the direction of the city's ports, not far from where my wandering had lead me. _Someone is still awake at this hour? I mean, besides me. _

"There's too many people here. I don't want to get innocent bystanders hurt by our battles. We have to wait until they leave Palmacosta, Steven."

_...Whoa! Steven?! Not them again!_

Trying to keep as silent as possible, I tiptoe around the small fishing shacks and various shops, and hide behind a large crate.

"Yeah, I know," Stevens replies unhappily, a rather cute pout on his face. "But I really want to fight that bratty elf again. She just got on my nerves for some reason."

_What did he just call me?! _His childish remark almost makes me reveal my hiding place. I wanted to punch the kid in his arrogant little mouth, but that could wait another day. It wasn't good to pick a fight when I was all alone.

Because I'd probably lose. ...Lose in a 'I-am-an-idiot-why-am-I-still-attacking-with-broken-bones' kind of way.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Sheena smirking. "You want to see that girl so badly? Awww, is it a crush, little Stevie?"

"N-No!" the young boy says angrily, his dark skin barely hiding the crimson blush upon his cheeks. "I just want to show her who is the better fighter! Nothing else!"

_...Good grief. An enemy finds me attractive. 'Course, I'll take that as a compliment, but... Should I be worried or is that one little fact an advantage?_

"Anyways... I overheard the mercenary talking about leaving in the morning. Let's head to the House of Salvation to the north and wait for them there."

_I already know that. It's pretty useless to stand here listening to those two explain things I already know. I think I'll head back to-_

**SNAP! **A small piece of wood, probably left over from one of the customizers, breaks underneath my boot.

"Who's there?! Corrine, check for intruders!"

_Okay, maybe running back to the inn would be a better idea! _I quickly turn around on my heels and duck beneath the nearest table, trying to keep my various weapons from hitting together. _Oooof. Crap, I didn't mean to bash my head into the wall- Ouch! What's with the nails poking out of the wood?!_

Once I step onto the stone path, however, my loud footsteps can be heard quite clearly.

"Sheena!" the little, adorable fox squeaks from somewhere behind me. "I think it's one of the elves from the Chosen's group! And she's really young, too!"

Before I can even reach the large archway leading to the city, my newly-appointed rival appears in front of me within a cloud of grey smoke. The red-clothed ninja blocks my way.

"Hey! Why are you following us?!" he growls angrily, directing a glare straight at my face.

I reach over with my right hand and grip the hilt of the sword attached to my waist. "I was just out walking when I spotted you two!"

"...Walking?" He looks at me strangely. "At this time of the morning? What is it, like three? Who is stupid enough-"

"Don't call me that! Are you trying to pick a fight with me?!" _Something about this guy pisses me off!_

"You are so-!"

"Kids!" Sheena suddenly appears out of nowhere, moving to step between us, her hands on her hips.

I open my mouth to protest, but a heated glare from the older woman makes me snap my jaw shut. _Note to self: when Sheena joins the party in the future, DO NOT make her angry. Bad things happen, especially if you're a man named Zelos._

"This isn't the time for a battle. We'll have to change our plans a little since **someone**-" Yet another scary glare directed at me, "-has heard far too much."

"I don't care what you guys do. There's a good chance you'll fall down some holes again," I answer with a smile on my face. "Colette's a bit on the ditzy side."

She blushes in embarrassment. "S-Shut up!"

"But I'm stating the truth," I reply, trying to make my smile seem innocent. _I'm just asking for a beating, aren't I? I'm going down the wrong path... The path with the pissed-off ninjas, really._

"Sheesh! What's with you people?! You act like I'm your friend, not your assassin!" The raven-haired woman stomps her feet in anger. Turning to her partner, she roughly grabs the boy's arms and shoves a small card into his hands. "We're going! Now!"

"But I-!"

"We are **leaving**," she hisses harshly into his ear. The teenager nods nervously in response.

The female ninja pulls out another strange card from her outfit, sliding her palm over its shiny surface in order to activate the magic. Both warriors disappear in a cloud of thick, dark smoke. It smells weird, and I wrinkle my nose in disgust at the scent.

"Uh... Bye, I guess?" Their sudden departure surprises me a little . I had been hoping to get some more information on the boy. There was a certain familiar aura about him, and I was sure I had felt it before. But I had never met someone like Steven in my life, even back on Earth. What the **hell **was going on?

A quick glance to the brightening sky made me finally notice the time. _I think I'll finish my walk. By then, it'll probably be time for breakfast._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Master Kratos! Sister isn't in her room! I can't find-!"

"Shut up, Orkion. I'm right here."

My brother nearly stumbles down the stairs in shock, not expecting me to already be at the breakfast table.

I roll my eyes. "Yes, I'm already awake. Now stop staring and sit down, you idiot." _Please, PLEASE let the others act normal. For my sanity! And good mood!_

As the rest of my companions come down from the upper floor of the inn, looking startled, I suddenly wish that I **had not **gotten up this early. They were acting like it was the end of the world. _And there must be pigs flying somewhere, I bet. _My hands were currently holding a large book, as I didn't want to eat until everyone was here.

I raise it to my face to hide my scarlet cheeks. _Bunch of bastards. Stop staring, dammit!_

"Whoa! You're already awake, Tilly?"

I lower the novel a few inches, glaring over its pale pages at Lloyd. He had just taken the chair next to me. _Seriously, one more remark like **that **and you will be in pain, boy._

He smiles cheerfully, oblivious to my murderous thoughts. "Maybe now you'll act less like a grumpy jerk and be nice for once-"

I abruptly slam the book shut and slap its rough, brown cover into his head. "SHUT UP, DAMN IT! Why is this so shocking?!"

The older teen yelps in pain and falls from his wooden chair to the floor. "OW! What was that for?!" he asks in confusion, rubbing his head with a gloved hand.

She gets angry when up this early." My brother looks at the twin swordsman with sympathy, but makes no move to stop me. _Good thing, too. _

Lloyd glances up at me nervously and takes the seat next to the Chosen after getting up off the ground. "You're like a smaller version of the Professor. And that's not a compliment."

"I AM NOT-!"

"Why, I would think that's a good thing, Lloyd!" Raine interrupts our bickering to state her own opinion. She carefully reaches over the food-filled table top and pulls the book from my hands. "...Isn't this the textbook I gave you to study a while back?"

"Uh... I, um, finished it already."

The woman frowns. "You haven't even opened the book of fairy tales back in Iselia. This is research about the elemental spirits... Over six-hundred pages long."

"You can't even **read **properly? Are even pictures books too hard for you, Lloydie?" I tease playfully, smirking at the embarrassed look on the boy's face.

"You stay out of this!"

"It is far too early for this," Kratos mutters under his breath from my left side.

"Just drink your coffee, old man," I reply, shifting in my chair to face my guardian. "And we're most likely to do this all day. Get used to it."

He just sighs in response to my comments. "...It's a wonder that I even managed to get this far with my sanity intact. I already have to put up with you and your brother... Now there's more children I have to watch over."

I smile widely, ducking under the purple-clad arm laying on the table. I peek up at his stern face with that stupid smirk still on my face. "You're nothin' but a big softie, you jerk. Stop acting all aloof and cool all the time. Be like me."

"What would that be? Annoying and loud?" he answers sarcastically, shoving my head away from his body gently. Even though he speaks with a stern voice, I can see the faint smile on his lips. _...Man, I would've done just about **anything **back on Earth to see something like this. I've gone from drooling fangirl to crazy daughter. Freaky._

"...You're grumpy this early, you know? What ever happened to 'Hello, oh darling Tia' and that sort of stuff?"

"..."

"Ooooh, I made you clam up again! Talk to me, Kratty! Kraaaaaatty!"

"...When you became a teenager. The little angel turned into a grouchy, little imp. An annoying and loud imp."

"Bastard!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

About half-an-hour later, most of us are standing outside the inn, trying to ignore the curious looks from people walking by. Blaine had wandered off somewhere to get a drink and Kratos was nowhere to be found.

"...Wasn't Kratty the one that wanted to be gone from this place as soon as possible?" I say quietly to the girl right next to me.

"Well... Maybe he had to do a favor for someone?" Colette answers vaguely, shrugging her shoulders. She glances around the street with wide eyes, and tries not to bump into anybody. "What about your new friend? I thought he was getting some Palma Potion..."

"Well, he's probably knocked down a cart of fruit or pissed-off a violent guy. Blay-Blay's like that."

"You shouldn't say things like that about your friends, Tilly," she reprimands me gently, waving a finger in front of my face. "You never know how your words could affect someone."

"She's right, little elf!" Lona elbows me in the ribs from my other side. "You have a rather loose tongue, you know?"

I shrug off their 'insults' and direct my attention at the nearest bystanders. _Maybe I should ask them if they've seen our lost travelers... Is it just me, or is there trouble coming?_

There was a strange buzzing sound going on in my head, a terrible itchy feeling that wasn't stopping. I stop in the middle of the street and try to pinpoint what exactly the feeling was. _It feels like the one I had this morning... Is it just a coincidence or is it something more?_

"Don't stand in the middle of traffic, lady!"

Someone suddenly shoves me to the side, knocking me to the hard cobblestones. I snatch my hands back from the road and barely miss having them being crushed by wagon wheels. "What the-?!"

"Be careful of yer sword there, girl. Don't want it go'in through that pretty little body of yers, now do we?" A rough, gloved hand grabs my arm in a firm grip and pulls me up into a standing position. "That man didn't mean to sound so harsh. Ya just need to be wary durin' rush hour, as I like to call it."

I open my mouth angrily _(Oh, great, now I'm being attacked by pervs?), _but it quickly snaps shut for the second time this day. Standing in front of me, holding onto my arm and wearing a concerned expression, was the most beautiful human boy I had ever seen. My mind went blank. "O-Oh... Um... Thanks?" _Dark, long blond hair, green eyes, a strange accent... Daaaaaaaaamn. Where have you been all my life, you hunk o' burning love?_

The boy, who appears to be about the same age as me, smiles shyly. "No problem. Ya were jus' standin' there all dazed, without lookin' to see if the way was clear. Are ya okay, miss?"

"Y-Yeah..." I blink a few times as my thoughts try to rearrange themselves in the proper order. "I was thinking about something and I forgot where I was." I hide my embarrassment with a sheepish smile.

The boy laughs softly, and releases my arm. Turning on his heels, he starts to walk away. "Ah, okay, then. Jus' be careful from now on, sweetheart! Maybe we'll see each othe' again!" he yells over the noise of the crowd.

_He's so hot. And a nice country boy, too! _

"What are you staring at, Tilly?"

Blaine's voice brings me back to reality and out of the daydream. "N-Nothing... I was just talking to someone," I reply hastily, my hand going up to push my bangs back from my eyes, one of the many nervous habits I have.

The teenager glances at me curiously. "There was no one near you, though. Maybe all this traveling is starting to go to your head."

_...Huh? What are you, blind? _I roll my eyes, grabbing the small bottle in his hands. "Um, this isn't Palma Potion... It's pink. What kind of drink is **pink**?" _Lookie, I made a rhyme! Drink is pink, drink is pink... I've finally lost my mind. Good grief._

"The lady at the counter said it was the called the 'Blessed Chosen', and it tastes really sweet!" Blaine says happily, pointing at his traveler's bag... A bag that was full of the little glass bottles. "And it seems to give me more energy for some reason, like orange gels."

I carefully pick up one of the containers and peer at its contents. The liquid was a bright pink and seemed thick, though there were small bubbles all throughout it. I shake it slightly, just enough to disturb the mixture. The bubbles glimmer and swirl around in all the drink's girly glory, but nothing else happens. "...Do you even know what's in this?"

"Er... No."

_If I was an anime character, then this would be were the sweatdrops and sudden collapses would occur. _"Since you appear to be okay for now, we'll just ask the Professor about it later and... Don't drink anymore of it, you fool!"

"H-Hey!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: **We got from early morning in the inn--encounter with the ninjas--a chaotic breakfast--meeting a hot boy--talking with Blaine. STILL IN THE SAME CITY. Arrrggghhhh.

It's finally done, gosh darn. **REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! **A freakin' smily face (:D :P) would do! There are nearly 10,000 hits on this, and only a little over 100 reviews. Something's wrong with that picture.

The faithful reviewers are the only reason I'm continuing this story. I love it when they praise my story or feel a connection with my OCs! So... **REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

(P.S. I finally got a Wii! _Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn_ rules! Take off that damn armor, oh mysterious Black Knight. If you're gonna be good for once, I want to SEE WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE. Are you hot? Ugly? Actually a woman? Beorc? Laguz?? I'M SO CONFUSED!)


	23. New Friendship or Trouble?

**A/N:** I apologize to my loyal readers who have waited over a year for me to update ASG. I'm not sure how long this inspiration/writing spell will last, but I hope to do at least another chapter or two of this and perhaps some new stories.

I have to replay ToS again, and probably ToS: DotNW again, too. Just to remember the moves, characters, and stuff again. Right now, most of this chapter was written several months ago.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not won "Tales of Symphonia" in any way, use, or form. Tilly Avera and Orkion Avera belong to me, _PrincessKaina2_; Lona Chocobo to _ShadowChocobo_; Blaine Gun to _Gantz_Gun_; Saith Verdel to _moon_eclipse_shadows_.

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, EVEN IF IT'S ONLY A SMILEY FACE! :)**

On with the story!

**------------------------**

"I'm bored."

"You already said that five minutes ago, Tilly."

"That's 'cause I'm _bored. _Everyone is being way too quiet. Entertain me, spiky one."

"…No."

"Aww, why not? Stop being so grumpy for on- Ouch! Hey, stop that!" I yelp in pain as a slender hand comes from behind and pulls harshly on the end of my ponytail. My 'attacker' turns out to be just Lona, who drags me away from the stoic mercenary and to the side of our traveling group. _Oh, hell. What did I do wrong now? I must have done something by that look on her face! _My brain instantly goes into panic mode.

"I didn't do it! It must have been Orkion or Lloyd! I'm innoc-"

"Do you think Kratos has noticed anything yet?"

"-framed, I say! Fr- …what now?" I halt my babbling just long enough to register what the older woman had said to me. "I, uh… repeat that, please."

Lona rolls her eyes and releases my long hair from her tight grip. She seems amused by my strange reaction. "You're not in trouble, little elf," she says with a smirk on her pale lips, "No need to freak out over a simple question."

"S-Shut up!" I reply angrily, my face burning from embarrassment. _She totally did that on purpose! _"What do you want?"

"I _said, _do you think Kratos has noticed anything yet?" Lona repeats impatiently, glancing at the rest of our companions and lowering her voice. We had managed to fall behind a little ways, with the others several feet in front.

I'm not sure, but I swear that a certain redhead had his ears trained on us. _…Shoot. I keep forgetting about his super-sensitive hearing. _"Uh… Ya' mean about, your, um, problem?"

'Yeah, my crystal without a key-"

I quickly slap a hand over Lona's mouth to keep her from finishing. "Not here, fool!" I hiss softly in her ear, my eyes flicking from her to Kratos.

"Mmmph?" Her words are muffled as she tries to speak through my gloved hand.

"Y-You know, this isn't the best time, 'kay?" I explain nervously, as I let my arm fall back to my side. "We need to be ready for-"

"Enemies, right?" she finishes the sentence for me. "I get enough of that from Raine and our favorite mercenary, nestling."

"Stop comparing me with… Wait, _nestling? _What kind of nickname is that?!"

"Ha ha~"

"Come back here so I can smack you! Lona, I mean it!"

**xxxxx**

"Calm down, Tilly! What's got you so riled up all of a sudden?"

It had been over an hour since our large group had arrived at the House of Salvation, but there had still been no sign of those annoying ninjas. My worry over the storyline of the 'game' had finally turned into a dark cloud of DOOM.

"Nothing! Don't talk to me, brother." _Think of fluffy bunnies, rainbows and candy… DOOM. DOOOOOM. _Orkion steps away from where I am pacing back-and-forth across the wooden floor, a nervous look on his face. I ignore him. _It's not just the plot, is it? I've been getting a bad feeling ever since we left Palmacosta. Something happened. Or will happen._

"…Sister?"

"I'll be outside if anyone needs me," I announce loudly, brushing past my younger brother and yanking my navy cloak as I pass by the wall hangers. I harshly pull the door open and slam it shut behind me. The early evening air feels cool and moist against my exposed face and ears.

"Stupid game…" Maybe this will turn out to be a dream and I'll wake up in the loony bin," I mutter under my breath, and I watch some birds that had been startled by my voice. The whole area seems so normal and… serene. Choosing a nice-sized pebble to kick with the toe of my boot, I pay no heed to my surroundings. As I move around the wooden building and hit the stone with a well-placed kick, something small and hairy darts out of the darkness and launches itself at my face.

"S-Sheena! Help me!" the furry thing squeals shrilly, digging sharp, unseen claws into my cheeks.

"What the-! GET OFF OF ME!" I swat as it harshly, but it only hooks itself deeper onto my face. Several feather-like appendages slip into my grip, and I finally yank the creature off with much force. "Why the _hell _did you attack- _Huh_?"

The animal starts to wiggle and writhe in my fingers. "You're not Sheena! What did you do with her?!"

_Bright fur, squeaky voice, and multiple tails? _"Corr- I m-mean… You're that fox-thing with the ninjas!" I exclaim in surprise, totally not expecting the little spirit to be all by itself.

"Jerk! Put me down!" Corrine growls angrily, snapping at my clench fingers with small, sharp fangs.

…Which, unfortunately, hit their mark quickly and painfully.

"OWW! Ow, ow, ow!"

The creature goes flying into some nearby bushes as I cradle my bitten fingers to my chest. "Gah! I'm bleeding, you little rat! That was uncalled for!" No response. Inching closer to the now-broken foliage, I quickly take notice of a sudden, crimson glow. _…Is he glowing or something? _"Damn. I didn't hurt you, did I? Corrine?"

_**Child of two hearts!**_

"Oh, shi-"

_**There is still yet another mortal that needs your changing touch. Go to her.**_

The deep, commanding voice booms through my mind, almost knocking me to the ground. _This can't be Verius! Not this early! _"Someone, help-!"

"Tilly?! Is that you?!" A familiar voice echoes through the air as a strange, bloody light surrounds my body and holds me in place. Lona appears from around the other side of the House of Salvation, her long blade already drawn.

"Quick, grab my hand!" she yells at me with panic in her voice. Even though the spirit's power is pushing her back, the woman manages to snag the edge of one of my gloves. "Just… hold… on…"

"L-Lona!" I try to grasp her fingers with mine, but the red energy rips us apart. The glove tears in two and then all I can see is darkness.

**xxxxx**

…_How many times has this happened to me? Being unconscious this much has got to be wrecking what little brain cells I have left. _"…Are you alright?" a soft voice asks from somewhere above me. _Eh? That doesn't sound like anyone I know. Not even Lona is-_

"Lona!" I jump up from the ground… only to fall back on my bottom with a loud 'thud'. "…Ouchie."

"You shouldn't move if you are hurt."

I finally glance up from my sprawled position on the grass, noticing the slim figure standing above me.

My 'rescuer' appears to be a human girl around my age perhaps a little younger. A light-grey tunic, strangely cut and made, covers what appears to be a black tank top. The outer tunic is completely sleeveless on the right side- revealing part of the other shirt- and with a shallow, flowing sleeve on the left arm. The bottom of the loose tunic ends at her hip on the left side and goes down to her knees on the right. A pair of dark blue leggings covers her lower half, with a thick belt wrapping around her slender waist. A long cloak of a slightly darker shade of grey is loosely tied and is pushed back behind her shoulders.

Over her right arm are leather gauntlets, covering the bare skin so it appears to be encased in armor. Both hands are covered with tough-looking gloves of the same material. …_What is that on her back? A big spear? _An extra leather strap goes over her left shoulder and over her back, probably attached to her belt. Encased in a complex sheath is a long, metal spear. Its entire length is painted a dazzling silver and along its sides were the words 'Silver Death' in Angelic.

"Uh…" My mind goes black for a few seconds. The girl remains silent, her face expressionless. Her piercing navy-blue eyes only meet mine for a few seconds before shifting to another direction. A stray breeze catches the edge of her almost white blond hair, making her single braid and loose bangs sway with the wind. I give myself a mental slap and immediately bring my mind back to the present. "S-Sorry!" I say with a sheepish smile. "I didn't mean to stare…"

I try once again to stand up, and this time I am successful. My legs feel shaky and somewhat weak, but I feel just fine otherwise. "I'm Tilly Avera. Thanks for waking me up."

"It is dangerous for someone to be left unconscious on the road. I'm glad you're alright, however," she replies with a small smile of her own, "My name is Saithna Verdelic. It is nice to meet you."

_Zyth-na? Coooool. _"You, too, Saithna!" I say cheerfully. It is a little unnerving to stand near her because of her lack of eye contact and expressions, but she seems friendly enough. I blink a few times, suddenly realizing that it is no longer night-time. In fact, it appears to be well past dawn and nearly noon! "…Where am I?"

"We are on the outskirts of Hakonesia Peak, on the southern side," Saithna says quietly, slight frown now on her delicate features. "Were you kidnapped or taken here against your will?"

My nervous grin returns. "Er… You could call it a magic spell gone wrong." _Or a freaked-out summon spirit thing._

"…That must have been quite a mistake if you didn't even know where you landed."

I glance up sharply, but I realize she is only stating a fact. "You know, I was at the House of Salvation near Palmacosta! My friends must be worried about me. Knowing them, they'll probably take a few days searching that area before even thinking of coming here." _They BETTER be. Rawr._

"Oh, my… That's over a day's journey from here," the pale girl exclaims in surprise, her neutral expression turning to one of surprise. "Were you traveling to or from-"

"Don't just stand in the middle of the road, you hooligans! Get out of my way!"

Both of us jump at the loud, hoarse screech. I turn around to find a gruff-looking, old man glaring at us from only a few yards away. He appears to be holding onto a small cart loaded with all kinds of jars and vials. "Some of these relics are priceless, and I can't wait around all day while a thief takes them just so you can lollygag in the road! Don't you-" He stops his rant in mid-sentence, and his face goes from anger to a large smirk within seconds. _…Damn it. Not this perverted old man! _

I instinctively move in front of the other girl, placing one hand on the hilt of my blade. "Back off, gramps."

Koton sneers in response at my weak warning. "A pair of pretty girls like you wouldn't hurt a defenseless peddler, would you now?" he practically purrs.

To my surprise, Saithna nudges me aside, her long weapon already drawn. _Holy-! How did she do that without me noticing?! _"Go on your way. We don't have to move to the side of the road, and you have plenty of room to go around us," the human girl orders him calmly in a voice that is just above a whisper. Her fingers are clenching the silver spear tightly and has its point leveled at Koton.

"Oh, now I remember you!" the man says angrily, the sly smirk gone from his lips. He takes a few steps back from the edge of the spear. "You're that little monster that wants a pass! You and your elf friend can just stay stuck!" He emphasizes his words with a rude gesture before pushing his cart past them with an unexpected speed, disappearing in a cloud of dust.

"What in the world…?" I look at Saithna with wide eyes. "You're, uh, really fierce… Not that it's a bad thing!" I add hastily to avoid being rude.

The girl now has her back to me, though I can see an ear flushing red on one side of her thick braid. _What is with this girl? _"So…" My mind goes through various conversation starters as my new 'friend' buckles the large weapon back into place. "…Want to travel with me and my friends when they get here? We should be able to get through the gate with them."

"Where are you from?"

"Wha-?" The question seems to come out of nowhere. "Asgard, but I haven't been there a few years." _Or not at all, depending on which 'Tilly' you want to know about. _Saithna remains silent, apparently considering my offer. "There are, like…" I count on my fingers," …eight of us, nine if you include me. We're the Chosen's group, by the way. The real ones."

She frowns suddenly and crosses her arms across her chest. "…Ah. I thought those travelers earlier were faking. Their so-called 'Chosen One' acted like a spoiled brat. You seem more like a Chosen's retainer than they do."

_Retainer? I'll ignore that little comment._"There were other travelers here that claimed that right? Were they carrying a big book with them?" I ask excitedly. "They took it from the Governor-General!"

"Well… The tricksters had it when they first arrived," Saithna continues, "…But it was not with them when they finally left, passing through the checkpoint."

_Good. The storyline still seems to intact in most places. _I smile in relief at the comforting thought. "Hey, didn't that guy a moment ago say he was a peddler? Does he like old junk and stuff? Maybe they sold it to him for a pass!"

The girl shrugs in response. "I have not been here long enough to know of that. I've spent only a few days camping near the checkpoint," she answers in a soft voice.

"Oh, shoot! Sorry for being so nosy. I'm just like that to-"

"I wish to travel with your group and the Chosen One. Is that… alright with you, Tilly?"

"Really?" I let out a cheerful laugh, grinning widely all the while. "Then all we have to do is, well, wait for them." The smile drops like a stone. "But that could be anywhere from a few hours to several days."

Saithna stands still for a few moments, and I wonder if I have done something to upset the girl. However, she abruptly does an about turn, and starts to walk toward the edge of the clearing and into the thicker woodland beyond. "…Come on, I'll show you where I have been camping. It is not far from here, just far enough to hide my presence from the gate's guards."

"O-Oh, um… Wait for me!" I walk quickly to catch up with the fair-haired girl, falling in step behind her as we make our way through the greenery. Strangely enough, there is hardly another creature to be found, except for a few regular rabbits and birds chirping quietly.

After about ten minutes of walking, we arrive in another, smaller clearing, one obviously lived-in. A small, simple tent is propped up between the branches of two trees, and a ring of sturdy rocks is just a foot or two in front of it. Old, black ashes fill the center of its circle. As I step onto the dirt-swept ground of the area, Saithna has already reached her cloth 'home' and is ruffling under a pile of dried leaves beside it. She pulls out a small pack, one that would fit on belt comfortably, similar to the one I carry around.

"This would be a nice place to rest for a while," I say, settling down onto the dirt with a sigh. The tranquility and peaceful atmosphere of the little hideout gave me a content feeling, as if my elven blood had finally found a home. _Hmm… This probably means I'll feel even better whenever we get to Ymir Forest… but that's in Tethe'alla, and long ways away from anywhere. _

The other female nods in agreement, and continues to clean up her place. "Tilly, would you go get some firewood for us, please? I know it's a bit early, but… We'll probably have to catch something for our lunch and dinner, if it comes to that."

I return to my feet, making sure that my numerous buckles, belt, and clasps are in their proper places. "Sure, but I may take longer than a few minutes, if you don't mind." I place a hand on the smooth hilt of my sword, feeling its familiar feather-etched engravings. "…I think I'll go take down a few monsters to let off some steam."

Saithna gives a small smile. "There's no rush. Take your time."

"See you in a bit, Saithna!" I take off into the thickly-wooded forest, quickly going out of sight and earshot of the temporary camp. I jog for a few more minutes, letting the cool air and clean, forest scent fills my lungs with every deep breath. Before long, I arrive in a more wild-looking part of the woods, and I can see movement ahead of me.

It is nothing more than a mangy wolf beast, and I draw my blade as it saunters over to me, fangs dripping with drool. I hold the Coeur de Flamme up, aiming its sharp edge at the oncoming monster. "Come and get me, you mangy mutt!" It takes a running leap at me and I swing my sword in a harsh uppercut, but the creature dodges my attack with surprising speed. When I see its form out of the side of my eye, I twist on my feet and slice at its snout, feeling the blade hit bone. It lets out a piercing shriek and I perform Sword Rain to finish it off.

I clean my weapon in the grass as the wolf disintegrates into a cloud of dark smoke. If I am going to have to catch something for dinner, it will have to just a normal rabbit or something. Normally, Kratos or Lloyd do that if needed, but… _Should I be feeling grossed-out by this? …Probably._

I spend the next hour taking down the various monsters and spirits that inhabit the part of the forest I am in, and I'm covered in a thin film of sweat by the time I'm done. I slide my sword back into its sheath over my left hip, before bending down to gather objects that had been dropped. A few small fangs, apple gels, tufts of fur… _Oooh, I think that's a ruby, or at least a shiny gemstone. Pretty and all mine. Wait, what's this?_

It is a small, square piece of stone colored a deep purple shade. I hold it up above my head, watching the bright sunlight filter through it in a light show of glimmers and sparkles. _I don't think this is just a regular piece of rock. I'll have to ask the Professor whenever I find the party again. _

_I can survive without them for a few days, right?_

…_Right?_

**xxxxx**

For the next three days, I stay with Saithna at her makeshift camp, and I only stray far enough to hunt and watch the checkpoint for my friends and my brother. Already, I've washed the entirety of my outfit (cloak, belt, and boots included), cleaned my sword and dagger until they gleamed, and organized my pack by type and amount.

In other words, I am bored _stiff. _

It is now late afternoon of the third day of my 'independence'. I remove my long, dark cape and unbuckle my belt, letting the item pouch and sheathed blade hit the ground with a loud 'thump'. A few moments later, a pair light-blue gloves are thrown on the pile, along with a small dagger. I had taken to hiding it inside the back of my right boot, where I could easily get to it if needed.

Or maybe I've just watched too many fantasy movies in my life. _Gah, I have such an urge to watch 'Lord of the Rings' again. The whole freakin' trilogy. In a row. _

"…It's taking your friends a long time to get here," Saithna says with a tired look on her face. Even she has started to become impatient from all the waiting. For what seems to be the hundredth time, I wonder just what the other girl is doing near the checkpoint, all by herself and without even a furry companion. However, I keep those thoughts to myself, not wanting to appear rude or nosy to her.

"Yeah, I know," I reply, "They really should've kept going on the pilgrimage rather than wasting so much time looking for me. Even though it is a bit flattering to have-"

_SLAM. CRUNCH. BAM._

The loud noise of something large and heavy being slammed into the ground about ten or fifteen feet away from our camp startles both of us into action, with me hurriedly strapping on my equipment and Saithna unhooking the large, deadly spear from her back. As the pale girl moves in the direction of the sound, weapon ready, I draw my blade and move into a battle stance next to her.

Nothing happens for several moments… Then a giant, furry bear-creature comes tumbling into the clearing. And… _Colette?! _The blond klutz carefully maneuvers herself from underneath the jumble of fur-covered limbs and razor claws, and I finally realize that the beast is actually dead and no longer moving. Is that where the loud noise had come from? From Colette and a monster fighting?

"Oh, my… Did I surprise you, Tilly? Um… Why is your sword drawn?" As the girl gives her trademark cheerful smile, I quickly sheathe my blade and motion for Saithna to do the same. "We've been searching everywhere for you guys!"

"Man, you sure took a long time to make it up here," I let out a soft chuckle, returning the smile until I realize what she had said. "…Guys? Is someone else other than me gone? 'Cuz this isn't Lona, by the way."

"My name is Saithna Verdelic. It is nice to make your acquaintance, miss," the human beside me introduces herself without waiting for me to do so. "Are you… the Chosen One, then?"

"Er…" Colette glances between the two of us, as if deciding whom to answer first. "I'm Colette Brunel, and yes, I am the Chosen One… though I don't really look the part, do I?" she says sheepishly, her cheeks becoming flushed with crimson.

"Oy, we've already gone over this, girl," I interrupt impatiently, "What I want to know is how in the world did you take on that thing yourself? And what did you mean by 'guys'?"

"Oh, yes…" the blond says, suddenly serious. "Are you sure Lona and Orkion aren't with you, Tilly? They disappeared the same night as you did."

_Lona? And my… brother?! _"Are you serious?! No, wait, don't answer that," I say, noticing her look of confusion. "This is not good. Not good at all!" _Just what could have happened to the two of them? Lona, you better take care of my little brother!_

**------------------------**

**A/N: **About four thousand words, right there. I'm going to go back to around 2k to 3k words from now on, though. Just regular chapters. And I even have a vague idea of a plot going through my head! :3 (I was just wingin' it for just about all of the story…)

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, EVEN IF IT'S ONLY A SMILEY FACE! :)**


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